bluebell

blue·bell

noun \-ˌbel\

Definition of BLUEBELL

1

: any of various bellflowers; especially : harebell

2

: any of various plants bearing blue bell-shaped flowers: as

a : a European herb (Hyacinthoides nonscripta syn. Scilla nonscripta) of the lily family having scapose racemes of drooping bell-shaped flowers —called also wild hyacinth

b plural : a glabrous erect eastern United States herb (Mertensia virginica) of the borage family with entire leaves and showy blue flowers pink in the bud —called also Virginia bluebells

First Known Use of BLUEBELL

1578

Rhymes with BLUEBELL

band shell, barbell, Becquerel, Blackwell, bombshell, bridewell, cadelle, cartel, chandelle, Chanel, clamshell, compel, cormel, cornel, corral, cowbell, cupel, diel, dispel, doorbell, dry cell, dry well, dumbbell, duxelles, ear shell, eggshell, excel, expel, farewell, fat cell, foretell, fuel cell, gazelle, germ cell, Glaspell, gromwell, groundswell, half shell, handbell, hard sell, hard-shell, harebell, hotel, impel, indwell, inkwell, Jarrell, jurel, Kandel, lampshell, lapel, Mandel, marcel, maxwell, Maxwell, micelle, misspell, morel, motel, nacelle, nerve cell, Nobel, noel, nouvelle, nutshell, oil well, Orel, Orwell, outsell, pall-mall, Parnell, pastel, pell-mell, pixel, pointelle, Ponselle, presell, propel, quenelle, rakehell, rappel, Ravel, rebel, refel, repel, respell, retell, riel, rondel, Roswell, saurel, scalpel, seashell, sequel, sleigh bell, soft sell, soft-shell, solgel, speedwell, spinel, stairwell, star shell, stem cell, tooth shell, unsell, unwell, upwell, wind-bell

bluebell

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Wild hyacinth (Hyacinthoides nonscriptus).—M.T. Tanton—The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers

Any plant of the genus Hyacinthoides, in the family Hyacinthaceae, native to Eurasia. Bluebell, or wild hyacinth (H. nonscriptus or Endymion nonscriptus), and Spanish bluebell (H. hispanicus), bearing clusters of bell-shaped blue flowers, are cultivated as garden ornamentals; some authorities place them in the related genus Scilla of the same family. Many other plants are commonly known as bluebells, including species of the genera Campanula, Eustoma, Polemonium, and Clematis. In the U.S. the name bluebell is usually reserved for Mertensia virginica.