toadflax

[ tohd-flaks ]

/ ˈtoʊdˌflæks /

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noun

a common European plant, Linaria vulgaris, of the figwort family, having narrow leaves and showy yellow-and-orange flowers, naturalized as a weed in the U.S.

any plant of the same genus.

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Origin of toadflax

First recorded in 1570–80; toad + flax

Words nearby toadflax

toad, toad bug, toadeater, to a degree, toadfish, toadflax, toad-in-the-hole, toad juice, toadshade, toad spit, toadstone

How to use toadflax in a sentence

They are mostly annuals, such as the little Toadflax (Linaria minor), which can just manage to exist under those conditions.
The Romance of Plant Life|G. F. Scott Elliot
Strong woody knapweed endures it, so does toadflax and pale blue scabious, and wild mignonette.
The Pageant of Summer|Richard Jefferies
The stems of the Red Valerian are tall and upright; those of the Toadflax are slender and drooping.
Wildflowers of the Farm|Arthur Owens Cooke
It feeds in the flowers of yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris), and may be reared on flowers of the snapdragon (Antirrhinum).
The Moths of the British Isles, Second Series|Richard South

A mellow brick wall enclosed the orchard, a wall beautified by small green ferns, by pink and red valerian, and yellow toadflax.
Antony Gray,--Gardener|Leslie Moore

British Dictionary definitions for toadflax

toadflax

/ (ˈtəʊdˌflæks) /

noun

any of various scrophulariaceous plants of the genus Linaria, esp L. vulgaris, having narrow leaves and spurred two-lipped yellow-orange flowersAlso called: butter-and-eggs

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