American Beauty

noun

1

: a long-stemmed rose with deep-pink to purplish-red flowers that is a variety of hybrid perpetual rose

The bush form of American Beauty, a mauve-tinged pink hybrid perpetual, was introduced in 1886, and it soon became a hit on the basis of its name alone.

—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2009

Love usually finds expression today on Valentine's Day in a dozen American Beauties …

—Dana Bartholomew, Daily News of Los Angeles, 14 Feb. 2002

Hardly anyone grows 'American Beauty' now, except for rosarians with inexhaustible patience and a passion for rare antiques.

—Douglas Brenner & Stephen Scanniello, A Rose by Any Name, 2009

2

American beauty : a deep purplish red that is redder and paler than hollyhock, redder and less strong than magenta (see magenta sense 2a), and less strong and slightly redder and darker than harvard crimson (see harvard crimson sense 2)

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!