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spring beauty

American

noun

any American spring plant belonging to the genus Claytonia, of the purslane family, especially C. virginica, having an elongated cluster of white flowers tinged with pink.

spring beauty British

noun

a pale green annual plant ( Claytonia perfoliata ) of the purslane family, originally North American, having small white flowers above fused leaves that encircle the stem

"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 spring beauty

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

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.

Our forest floors should be carpeted with Virginia bluebells, trillium, skunk cabbage, jewelweed, ferns, spring beauty, trout lily, columbine and more.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2022

I was stopped in my tracks by something that didn’t belong: a spring beauty plant in bud.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2017

The spring beauty is a native wildflower that was budding more than two months early.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2017

Over the sheets was spilled the earth and leaves and the poor little pink spring beauty.

From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen

A cool shadow crossed my face and I arose, whistled for Frightful to come to my hand, and wandered slowly home, stuffing my pockets with spring beauty bulbs as I went.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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