saxifrage

American

[sak-suh-frij] / ˈsæk sə frɪdʒ /

noun

any plant of the genus Saxifraga, certain species of which grow wild in the clefts of rocks, other species of which are cultivated for their flowers.

saxifrage British

/ ˈsæksɪˌfreɪdʒ /

noun

any saxifragaceous plant of the genus Saxifraga, characterized by smallish white, yellow, purple, or pink flowers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of saxifrage

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin saxifraga ( herba ) stone-breaking (herb), equivalent to saxi-, combining form of saxum stone + -fraga, feminine of -fragus breaking; see fragile

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.

“The rosy saxifrage is about as a native as you can get in the UK,” Robbie says, perched on a rock looking serenely out on this dramatic landscape.

From BBC • May 24, 2024

Retail prices range from $19.50 an ounce for common native grasses to $443.63 for harder-to-grow species such as wholeleaf saxifrage and Henderson’s shooting star.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2023

Springy moss, purple and yellow saxifrage, and a type of buttercup stay within centimetres of the ground.

From The Guardian • Jul. 28, 2018

Desiccated husks of spring wildflowers — saxifrage, penstemon and daisy — crunched underfoot.

From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2013

And in confirmation, a little Arctic flower, a purple saxifrage, blossomed improbably where the witch had planted it as a signal in a cranny of the rock.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

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