touch-me-not

[ tuhch-mee-not ]

/ ˈtʌtʃ miˌnɒt /

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noun

any of several plants belonging to the genus Impatiens, of the balsam family, especially I. noli-tangere, bearing pods that, when ripe, burst on being touched, scattering the seeds.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Compare jewelweed.

Origin of touch-me-not

First recorded in 1590–1600

Words nearby touch-me-not

touch judge, touchless, touchline, touchline ban, touchmark, touch-me-not, touch off, touch on, touchpad, touch paper, touch plate

How to use touch-me-not in a sentence

I forgot you had grown up into a young woman; another word for touch-me-not—ha!
Graham's Magazine Vol XXXII No. 6 June 1848|Various
In the twilight, we now and then, to support ourselves, snatched at the touch-me-not stem of some ancient sweet-brier.
The Oregon Trail|Francis Parkman, Jr.
She'll be fretting, and the mother pouting, and the councillor in ane o' his particular Dutch touch-me-not tempers.
The Bow of Orange Ribbon|Amelia E. Barr
Name from the sudden bursting of the pods when touched, whence also the popular appellation, Touch-me-not, or Snap-weed.
The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States|Asa Gray

Examples—violet, jewel-weed (touch-me-not), sweet-pea, witch-hazel.
Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Nature Study|Ontario Ministry of Education

British Dictionary definitions for touch-me-not

touch-me-not

noun

any of several balsaminaceous plants of the genus Impatiens, esp I. noli-me-tangere, having yellow spurred flowers and seed pods that burst open at a touch when ripeAlso called: noli-me-tangere

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