asphodel

noun

as·​pho·​del ˈas-fə-ˌdel How to pronounce asphodel (audio)
: any of various Old World herbs (especially genera Asphodelus and Asphodeline) of the lily family with flowers in usually long erect racemes

Examples of asphodel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bosa was once renowned for its leather-making industry and is still filled with historical boutiques, where the art of tannery has been passed down across generations, as well as stores selling coral jewelry and asphodel baskets. Silvia Marchetti, CNN, 11 Aug. 2022 The plant, a species of the false asphodel, is a delicate plant that traps insects with sticky hairs on its flowering stem, according to a news release from UBC. Lauren M. Johnson, CNN, 10 Aug. 2021 The species in the new study, called the western false asphodel (Triantha occidentalis), lives in mountainous bogs and other nutrient-poor locations in western North America. Erik Stokstad, Science | AAAS, 9 Aug. 2021 Among them is a native New Jersey blackberry bush that grows in Cape May, and a bog asphodel, which grows only in the Pinelands after populations in Delaware and the Carolinas were wiped out, Snyder said. USA TODAY, 12 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

Latin asphodelus, from Greek asphodelos

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of asphodel was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near asphodel

Cite this Entry

“Asphodel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asphodel. Accessed 14 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

asphodel

noun
as·​pho·​del ˈas-fə-ˌdel How to pronounce asphodel (audio)
: any of several herbs related to the lilies and bearing white or yellow flowers in long upright spikes

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