shamrock

[ sham-rok ]

/ ˈʃæm rɒk /

noun

any of several trifoliate plants, as the wood sorrel, Oxalis acetosella, or a small, pink-flowered clover, Trifolium repens minus, but especially Trifolium procumbens, a small, yellow-flowered clover: the national emblem of Ireland.

Origin of shamrock

1565–75; < Irish seamróg, equivalent to seamair clover + -óg diminutive suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shamrock

Eventually Congress learned the NSA was also snooping on U.S. citizens through programs code named Minaret and Shamrock.
Spy Chief James Clapper: We Can’t Stop Another Snowden|Eli Lake|February 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Will ye join in the toast to the emblem of Erin—the shamrock, Phil and Pat?'
The Celt and Saxon, Complete|George Meredith
The shamrock, which is identical with the trefoil, is the national badge of Ireland.
The Curiosities of Heraldry|Mark Antony Lower
The rose, thistle and shamrock again appear on the stamp, at either side of the oval frame and separating the inscriptions.
Canada: Its Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery|Clifton Armstrong Howes

Prizes of stick pins in Shamrock designs can be given the winners, or potato pincushions tied with green ribbons.
Bright Ideas for Entertaining|Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott
The rose, shamrock, and thistle were painted on the hulls, and the royal arms decorated their sterns.
The Great Frozen Sea|Albert Hastings Markham

British Dictionary definitions for shamrock

shamrock

/ (ˈʃæmˌrɒk) /

noun

a plant having leaves divided into three leaflets, variously identified as the wood sorrel, red clover, white clover, and black medick: the national emblem of Ireland

Word Origin for shamrock

C16: from Irish Gaelic seamrōg, diminutive of seamar clover

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

Word Origin and History for shamrock