shamrock

American  

[sham-rok] / ˈʃæm rɒk /

noun

1. 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.

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shamrock British  

/ ˈʃæmˌrɒk /

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of shamrock

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

Compare meaning

How does shamrock compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• shamrock vs. clover

Example Sentences

Among England's Tudor rose, Scotland's thistle, the Welsh leek and the Irish shamrock are the Canadian maple leaf and India's lotus flower.

From BBC

One could scarcely see past all the crowns, roses, shamrocks, halos, piles of gold, angel wings, laurel leaves, roaring lions—the list went on and on.

From Literature

“My first tattoo,” she wrote, “might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It's impossible not to like Justin Rose. It's the English Rose against the Irish shamrock," said one golfer, as everyone chatted nervously before the play-off.

From BBC

Catherine, dressed in a bottle-green and percher hat, presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers, guardsmen and mascot Seamus, the Irish wolfhound, at the regiment's annual parade at Wellington Barracks.

From BBC