celandine

celandine
\ \ [12] Etymologically the celandine, a buttercup-like spring flower, is the ‘swallow’s’ flower. Its name comes, via Old French, from Greek khelidonion, which was based on khelidonswallow’. The original reference was no doubt to the appearance of the flowers around the time when the swallows began to arrive in Europe from Africa. Its juice was used in former times as a remedy for poor eyesight, and, no doubt in an over-interpretation of the name, it was said that swallows used the juice to boost the sight of their young.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Celandine — is a common name for three species of flowers: *Greater celandine, Chelidonium majus , in the poppy family *Lesser celandine, Ranunculus ficaria , in the buttercup family *Celandine poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum , in the poppy family …   Wikipedia

  • Celandine — Cel an*dine (s[e^]l [a^]n*d[imac]n), n. [OE. celidoine, OF. celidoine, F. ch[ e]lidoine, fr. L. chelidonia (sc. herba), fr. chelidonius pertaining to the swallow, Gr. chelido nios, fr. chelidw n the swallow, akin to L. hirundo a swallow.] (Bot.)… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • celandine — ► NOUN 1) (also lesser celandine) a common yellow flowered plant of the buttercup family. 2) (greater celandine) a yellow flowered plant of the poppy family, with toxic sap. ORIGIN from Greek khelid n swallow (the flowering of the plant being… …   English terms dictionary

  • celandine — or lesser celandine [sel′ən dīn΄, sel′əndēn΄, sel′əndin] n. [ME & OFr celidoine < ML celidonia < L chelidonia < Gr chelidonion, swallowwort < chelidōn, a swallow < IE echoic base * ghel > YELL] 1. a weedy plant (Chelidonium… …   English World dictionary

  • celandine — /sel euhn duyn , deen /, n. 1. Also called greater celandine, swallowwort. an Old World plant, Chelidonium majus, of the poppy family, having yellow flowers. 2. Also called lesser celandine. an Old World plant, Ranunculus ficaria, of the… …   Universalium

  • celandine — [ sɛləndʌɪn] noun 1》 (also lesser celandine) a common plant of the buttercup family, which produces yellow flowers in the early spring. [Ranunculus ficaria.] 2》 (greater celandine) a yellow flowered plant of the poppy family, with toxic sap.… …   English new terms dictionary

  • celandine — /ˈsɛləndaɪn/ (say seluhnduyn) noun 1. a plant, of Europe and western Asia, Chelidonium majus (greater celandine), family Papaveraceae, with yellow flowers in loose few flowered umbels; swallow wort. 2. a European buttercup, Ranunculus ficaria… …  

  • celandine — didžioji ugniažolė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Aguoninių šeimos dekoratyvinis, vaistinis nuodingas augalas (Chelidonium majus), paplitęs šiaurės Afrikoje, Europoje ir Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Chelidonium majus angl. celandine; great… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • celandine — n. either of two yellow flowered plants, the greater celandine, Chelidonium majus, and the lesser celandine, Ranunculus ficaria. Etymology: ME and OF celidoine ult. f. Gk khelidon swallow: the flowering of the plant was associated with the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • celandine — noun Etymology: Middle English celidoine, from Anglo French, from Latin chelidonia, from feminine of chelidonius of the swallow, from Greek chelidonios, from chelidon , chelidōn swallow Date: 12th century 1. a yellow flowered Eurasian biennial… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • celandine — noun a) Either of two unrelated flowering plants b) The greater celandine …   Wiktionary

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