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Hyacinth
Hyacinth ♀ English form of the name (Greek Hyakinthos) borne in classical mythology by a beautiful youth who was accidentally killed by Apollo and from whose blood sprang a flower bearing his name (not the modern hyacinth, but a type of dark lily). The name was later borne by various early saints, principally one martyred in the 3rd century with his brother Protus. This encouraged its use as a male name in Christian Europe, including, occasionally, Britain. However, in Britain at the end of the 19th century there was a vogue for coining new girls' names from vocabulary words denoting plants and flowers (e.g. Daisy, Ivy). Hyacinth accordingly came to be regarded exclusively as a girl's name. It has never been common, and in the 1990s came to be associated with the character of the domineering snob Hyacinth Bucket in the British TV comedy series Keeping Up Appearances.
Variants: Jacinth, Jacintha. |
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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Hyacinth." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Hyacinth." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Hyacinth.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Hyacinth." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Hyacinth.html |
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hyacinth
hy·a·cinth / ˈhīəˌsin[unvoicedth]/ • n. 1. a bulbous plant (genus Hyacinthus) of the lily family, with straplike leaves and a compact spike of bell-shaped fragrant flowers. ∎ a light purplish-blue color typical of some hyacinth flowers. 2. another term for jacinth. DERIVATIVES: hy·a·cin·thine / ˌhīəˈsin[unvoicedth]in; -ˌ[unvoicedth]īn/ adj. |
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"hyacinth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hyacinth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hyacinth.html "hyacinth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hyacinth.html |
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Hyacinth
Hyacinth or Hyacinthus , in Greek mythology, beautiful youth loved by Apollo. He was killed accidentally by a discus thrown by the god. According to another legend, the wind god Zephyr, out of jealousy, blew the discus to kill Hyacinth. From his blood sprang a flower which was named for him. |
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"Hyacinth." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Hyacinth." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Hyacinth.html "Hyacinth." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Hyacinth.html |
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hyacinth
hyacinth any plant of the genus Hyacinthus, bulbous herbs of the family Liliaceae ( lily family) native to the Mediterranean region and South Africa. The common, or Dutch, hyacinth of house and garden culture (derived from H. orientalis of the NE Mediterranean) became so popular in the 18th cent. that 2,000 kinds were said to be in cultivation in Holland, the chief commercial producer. This hyacinth has a single dense spike of fragrant flowers in shades of red, blue, white, or yellow. A variety of the common hyacinth is the less hardy and smaller blue- or white-flowered Roman hyacinth (var. albulus ) of florists. The flower of the Greek youth Hyacinth has been identified with a number of plants (e.g., iris) other than the true hyacinth. The related grape hyacinths ( Muscari ), sometimes called baby's-breath, are very low, mostly blue-flowered herbs similar in appearance to hyacinths and also commonly cultivated. Types of brodiea , camass , squill , and other lily-family plants with flower clusters borne along the stalk are also called hyacinth. Hyacinths are classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Liliopsida, order Liliales, family Liliaceae. |
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Cite this article
"hyacinth." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hyacinth." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-hyacinth.html "hyacinth." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-hyacinth.html |
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hyacinth
hyacinth the flower of the hyacinth is supposed to have sprung from the blood of Hyacinthus, a beautiful boy whom the god Apollo loved but killed accidentally with a discus. From his blood Apollo caused the hyacinth to spring up.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hyacinth." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hyacinth." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-hyacinth.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hyacinth." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-hyacinth.html |
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hyacinth
hyacinth precious stone (cf. JACINTH); plant-name. XVI. — F. hyacinthe — L. hyacinthus — Gr. huákinthos purple or dark-red flower, precious stone.
So hyacinthine XVII. — L. — Gr. |
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T. F. HOAD. "hyacinth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "hyacinth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hyacinth.html T. F. HOAD. "hyacinth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hyacinth.html |
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hyacinth
hyacinth Bulbous plant native to the Mediterranean region and Africa. It has long, thin leaves and spikes of bell-shaped flowers, which may be white, yellow, red, blue, or purple. Family Liliaceae; genus Hyacinthus.
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"hyacinth." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hyacinth." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-hyacinth.html "hyacinth." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-hyacinth.html |
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hyacinth
hyacinth
•amaranth
•nth, tenth
•eighteenth, fifteenth, fourteenth, nineteenth, seventeenth, sixteenth, thirteenth, umpteenth
•plinth, synth
•Corinth • labyrinth • jacinth
•absinthe • hyacinth • ninth
•crème de menthe • month
•twelvemonth
•billionth, millionth, trillionth, zillionth
•eleventh, seventh
•thousandth • dozenth
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Cite this article
"hyacinth." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hyacinth." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hyacinth.html "hyacinth." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hyacinth.html |
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