bluebell

noun blue·bell \ -ˌbel \

|Updated on: 30 May 2018

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

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Recent Examples of bluebell from the Web

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
Nothing will get you in the mood to spring forward like a bouquet of spring jokes, spring one-liners, and spring puns, which pop up alongside tulips, daffodils, and bluebells.

— melissa locker, Southern Living, "Corny & Cheesy Jokes for Your Next Party," 12 Dec. 2017
Grape hyacinths, crocus, snowdrops, Siberian squill and bluebells can be grown under deciduous trees.

— jeff lowenfels, Alaska Dispatch News, "Go forth and plant spring bulbs," 15 Sep. 2017
Local youngsters Bella (left) and Daisy run through a forest covered in bluebells near Marlborough in southern England, on May 4, 2015.

— alan taylor, The Atlantic, "A Walk In The Woods: A Photo Appreciation of Trees," 19 July 2017

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.