bluebell

noun

blue·bell | \ ˈblü-ˌbel

Definition of bluebell

1 : any of various bellflowers especially : harebell

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

a : a European herb (Hyacinthoides nonscripta synonym Scilla nonscripta) of the lily family having scapose racemes of drooping bell-shaped flowers

— called also wild hyacinth

b bluebells plural : a glabrous erect eastern U.S. herb (Mertensia virginica) of the borage family with entire leaves and showy blue flowers pink in the bud

— called also Virginia bluebells

Examples of bluebell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Terms to describe the natural world—such as acorn, adder, bluebell, bramble, otter, raven and willow—have been banished to make room for such chilly contemporary words as blog, broadband and bullet-point. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "What to Give: Children’s Books," 15 Nov. 2018 Two weeks ago, the Royal Collection revealed the Jack and Eugenie's official commemorative china, which featured not only the couple's monogram, but also garlands of ivy, wild English bluebells, forget-me-nots and the white rose of York. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Princess Eugenie's Bridal Bouquet Included a Sweet Tribute to Her Kensington Palace Home, Ivy Cottage," 12 Oct. 2018 Ecology undergraduate researcher Karen Wang drops her fine-mesh bee net, whips out a small recorder and leans in to observe Yellow 54 climbing into the bluebell’s long tubular blooms. — Kristin Ohlson, Discover Magazine, "How Cheaters Prosper," 28 Sep. 2018 The bluebells arrive, like an iridescent blue carpet below, spreading along hedgerows, suddenly swamping forests and copses, emerging out of the rotten, sodden leaves of last autumn. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Will There Always Be an England?," 27 Apr. 2018 Visitors will be seeing the parks in peak spring bloom with bluebells, peonies, wisteria, roses and more at their most colorful. — Cailey Rizzo, Smithsonian, "This Friday, You Can Visit More Than 150 of the Best Gardens in the U.S. for Free," 10 May 2018 For those whose self-understanding is wrapped up in bluebells and tea, in English accents divided solely by class and region, in a nearly all-white and all-English country for centuries, these times are culturally terrifying. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Will There Always Be an England?," 27 Apr. 2018 However, Little Alice London makes other smocked dresses in a similar bluebell print including a Peter Pan Collar dress and a smocked pinafore. — Lyndsey Matthews, Town & Country, "Princess Charlotte's Adorable Blue Dress Is Already Sold Out," 23 Apr. 2018 Built by John, Second Duke of Montagu, in the 1770s, its colorful parade of snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, and bluebells stretch from the house to as far as the moat. — Michael Milne, Philly.com, "Beaulieu: Downton Abbey-Style Estate With Something for Everyone," 7 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bluebell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.