shamrock
Americannoun
-
shamrocks
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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:
Explanation
A shamrock is a three-leafed green clover that's used to symbolize Ireland. Go all out for St. Patrick's Day this year — decorate your whole house with shamrocks! A clover must have exactly three leaves to be a shamrock, and some people believe only certain clover varieties qualify. Since at least 1675, Catholics have associated the shamrock with Saint Patrick, who famously used it to represent the Holy Trinity. It wasn't until the 18th century that it shifted from representing Ireland's patron saint to Ireland itself. The shamrock even shows up on some British coins, alongside the English rose and Scottish thistle.
Vocabulary lists containing shamrock
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Green
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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.
See Examples For:
“My first tattoo,” she wrote, “might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2025
But such information would only have puzzled Trump and complicated the shamrock bonhomie, and Vance — a Roman Catholic convert, after all — beamed in silence from the sofa.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2025
The gift of the traditional shamrock bowl was given a warm reception by the president, while the vice-president's attempts at celebrating the heritage of the Emerald Isle was less so.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2025
A popular sight around the holiday is the shamrock, or three-leaf clover, linked to Ireland and St. Patrick.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
Though Ron purchased a dancing shamrock hat and a large green rosette, he also bought a small figure of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
When the Irish visit the White House each year, they traditionally bring a bowl of shamrocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
Queen Alexandra, the consort of King Edward VII, began the custom of giving out the shamrocks in 1901.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2023
For her historic 2011 visit to Ireland, Elizabeth wore a green outfit to meet then President Mary McAleese, while her evening gown for a state banquet featured silk shamrocks.
From Reuters ● May 18, 2022
Instead, the leaders met virtually, with Biden seated near a bowl of shamrocks on a table and a television monitor showing Martin.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 17, 2022
There were a bunch of forest animals on the fringes, throwing shamrocks at the happy couple.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
