trillium

[ tril-ee-uhm ]

/ ˈtrɪl i əm /

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noun

any of several plants belonging to the genus Trillium, of the lily family, having a whorl of three leaves from the center of which rises a solitary, three-petalled flower.

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Origin of trillium

<New Latin (Linnaeus), apparently alteration of Swedish trilling triplet, alluding to the foliation

Words nearby trillium

trilithon, trill, Trilling, trillion, trillionaire, trillium, trilobate, trilobed, trilobite, trilocular, trilogy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use trillium in a sentence

I plucked my first dandelion on a meadow slope on the 23d, and in the woods, protected by a high ledge, my first trillium.
A Year in the Fields|John Burroughs
See how the banks are all enamelled with the pale hepatica, the painted trillium, and the delicate pink-veined spring beauty.
Little Rivers|Henry van Dyke
Betty had pressed a white trillium that made an imposing picture, retaining all its beauty and lines.
Girl Scouts in the Adirondacks|Lillian Elizabeth Roy
The boys had the painted trillium in their collection but had never seen the white one.
Girl Scouts in the Adirondacks|Lillian Elizabeth Roy

The very short rootstock and strong terminal bud of a Trillium or Birthroot.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray

British Dictionary definitions for trillium

trillium

/ (ˈtrɪljəm) /

noun

any herbaceous plant of the genus Trillium, of Asia and North America, having a whorl of three leaves at the top of the stem with a single central white, pink, or purple three-petalled flower: family Trilliaceae

Word Origin for trillium

C18: from New Latin, modification by Linnaeus of Swedish trilling triplet

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