Main Entry:

saf·flow·er

Pronunciation:

\ˈsa-ˌflau̇(-ə)r\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle French saffleur, from Old Italian saffiore, from Arabic ʽaṣfar, ʽuṣfur

Date:

circa 1660

: a widely cultivated Old World composite herb (Carthamus tinctorius) with large usually orange or red flower heads and seeds rich in oil ; also : a red dyestuff prepared from the flower heads