columbine

views updated Jun 11 2018

co·lum·bine / ˈkäləmˌbīn/ • n. an aquilegia with long-spurred flowers. • Genus Aquilegia, family Ranunculaceae: several species, including the white-floweredColorado blue columbine (A. coerulea) with blue sepals, and the red-flowered A. canadensis.

columbine

views updated May 21 2018

columbine dove-like. XIV. — (O)F. colombin, -ine — L. columbīnus, f. columba dove. As sb., name of plants. XIII. — OF. colombine — medL. columbīna (sc. herba) ‘dove's plant’, so called from the resemblance of the inverted flower to five pigeons clustered together.

Columbine

views updated May 21 2018

Columbine a character in Italian commedia dell'arte, the mistress of Harlequin; the name comes via French from Italian Colombina, feminine of colombino ‘dovelike’, from colombo ‘dove’.

columbine

views updated May 11 2018

columbine Any of c.100 species of perennial herbaceous plant native to cool climates of the Northern Hemisphere. They have five-petalled, spurred flowers and notched leaflets. Height: to 90cm (3ft). Family Ranunculaceae; genus Aquilegia.

Columbine

views updated Jun 11 2018

Columbine (orig. in It. comedy) the mistress of Harlequin. XVIII. — F. Colombine — It. Colombina, sb. use of fem. of colombino dove-like in gentleness (cf. prec.).

columbine

views updated May 14 2018

columbine See AQUILEGIA.

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

columbine

All Sources -
Updated Aug 24 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like

    NEARBY TERMS

    columbine