polyanthus

American  

[pol-ee-an-thuhs] / ˌpɒl iˈæn θəs /

noun

polyanthuses plural

1. a hybrid primrose, Primula polyantha.

2. Also called polyanthus narcissus.  a narcissus, Narcissus tazetta, having small white or yellow flowers.

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polyanthus British  

/ ˌpɒlɪˈænθəs /

noun

1. any of several hybrid garden primroses, esp Primula polyantha, which has brightly coloured flowers

2. a Eurasian amaryllidaceous plant, Narcissus tazetta, having clusters of small yellow or white fragrant flowers

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• polyanthuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polyanthus

1620–30; < New Latin < Greek polýanthos having many flowers. See poly-, -anthous

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polyanthus polyanthuses

Honora had the breakfast table covered with flowers, primroses, violets, polyanthus, and laurustinus, and some of Sophy's own snowdrops, double and single, which obligingly lingered on purpose to celebrate the day.

From The Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth, Volume 2 by Hare, Augustus J. C.

And the little bushes of polyanthus gemmed the dark earth between with their varied hues.

From Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood by MacDonald, George

Fill the beds with polyanthus, wallflower, forget-me-not and other early flowers.

From Small Gardens and How to Make the Most of Them by Biddle, Violet Purton

He professed to disbelieve in the time-honored prescription, "Plant a primrose upside down, and it will come up a polyanthus," and refused to help me to make the experiment.

From Last Words A Final Collection of Stories by Murphy, Hermann Dudley

The true or English cowslip is one of the hardy border plants; also the plants commonly known as polyanthus.

From Manual of Gardening (Second Edition) by Bailey, L. H. (Liberty Hyde)

In spring the banks should be set thick with violets, primroses, and the lovely bronze, crimson, and purple polyanthuses.

From The Naturalist on the Thames by Cornish, C. J. (Charles John)

There shuiting their phanthasies, they pluck polyanthuses That round in the gardens resplindently grow, Wid roses and jessimins, and other sweet specimins, Would charm bould Linnayus in sweet Pimlico.

From Ballads by Thackeray, William Makepeace

The crocuses were all asleep now, their little petals fast closed, and the daisies too, but the polyanthuses looked bravely with their beautiful eyes at the fast darkening sky.

From The Carroll Girls by Quiller-Couch, Mabel

Scrolls, ciphers, dragons, Cupids, polyanthuses, and other flowers writhe up the walls in every kind of cornucopiosity.

From The Book of Snobs by Thackeray, William Makepeace

Sow the seeds of flower de luce and crown imperial, as also of auriculas and polyanthuses, according to the method before recommended.

From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Eaton, Mary, fl. 1823-1849