prairie clover

American

noun

any plant belonging to the genus Petalostemon, of the legume family, common in western North America, having pinnately compound leaves and spikes of white, purple, or pink flowers.

Etymology

Origin of prairie clover

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“If you have white and purple prairie clover side by side,” Holm said, “you’ll likely observe wasps preferentially visiting the white flowers.”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2022

Range Management Expert Dick Whetsell can point out areas where cattle have wiped out prairie flowers, including wild indigo and blazing stars, leadplants and horsemint, prairie clover and many species of sunflowers.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023