Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

Indian paintbrush

noun

Definition of Indian paintbrush

1 : any of a genus (Castilleja) of chiefly American herbaceous plants of the snapdragon family that have brightly colored bracts — called also painted cup
2 : orange hawkweed

See Indian paintbrush defined for kids

Illustration of indian paintbrush

illustration of indian paintbrush

First Known Use of indian paintbrush

1892

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up Indian paintbrush? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

quail

play

to recoil in dread or terror

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. asylum 'protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees'

  2. insubordinate 'disobedient to authority'

  3. promulgate 'to make known by open declaration'

  4. epochal 'momentous or unparalleled'

  5. clemency 'merciful treatment of someone who could be given harsh punishment'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Indian paintbrush

Test Your Vocabulary

Name More Food!

  • red-fruit
  • Name that Fruit!
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games