pimpernel

American  

[pim-per-nel, -nl] / ˈpɪm pərˌnɛl, -nl /

noun

1. a plant belonging to the genus Anagallis, of the primrose family, especially A. arvensis scarlet pimpernel, having scarlet or white flowers that close at the approach of bad weather.

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pimpernel British  

/ -nəl, ˈpɪmpəˌnɛl /

noun

1. any of several plants of the primulaceous genus Anagallis, such as the scarlet pimpernel, typically having small star-shaped flowers

2. any of several similar and related plants, such as Lysimachia nemorum ( yellow pimpernel )

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Etymology

Origin of pimpernel

1400–50; late Middle English pympernele < Middle French pimprenelle, nasalized variant of Old French piprenelle < Late Latin *piperīnella, equivalent to piper pepper + -īn- -ine ¹ + -ella diminutive suffix; replacing Old English pipeneale < Late Latin pipīnella, syncopated variant of *piperīnella

Example Sentences

Her hands shielded from the gusts of February air by a well-worn pair of gardening gloves, Rachel carefully places tree spinach and scarlet pimpernel seeds into brown plastic pots.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2020

Libya is prominent in the papers today of course, although there is something of a "Does anyone know what's going on?" and "Where is the Tripoli pimpernel anyway?" flavour to it.

From The Guardian • Aug. 28, 2011

The boy inhabits a mental world swarming with such heroes as Sherlock Holmes, Hoot Gibson and the Scarlet pimpernel.

From Time Magazine Archive

Peter K. Grimes had neither the cloak, the dagger nor the devil-may-care air of a scarlet pimpernel.

From Time Magazine Archive

The earth was soft and crumbling, with a scattering of the weeds that are found in cultivated fields—fumitory, charlock, pimpernel and mayweed, all growing in the green gloom under the bean leaves.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams