buttercup

noun

but·ter·cup | \ ˈbə-tər-ˌkəp

plural buttercups

Definition of buttercup

: any of a large genus (Ranunculus of the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family) of chiefly perennial herbaceous plants having colorful cup-shaped flowers with 5 or sometimes many petals : ranunculus especially : a plant (such as R. acris and R. repens) with usually bright yellow, five-petaled flowers The flowers …, 1 1/2-in.-wide golden buttercups set atop a green topknot of fringy leaves, are very bright and cheery in the chill of March. — Aileen Detter Rodgers — compare crowfoot, spearwort

Examples of buttercup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web An Easy-Bake Oven has more gravitas than this thing, which comes in colors including buttercup-yellow and baby blue and plays an obnoxious, twinkly little ditty when it is done. — Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 2 June 2022 This park features a buttercup, misty mountain, ground spray, three ants, corn poppy, flutter, morning cross and three surf stones. — Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 26 May 2022 As the lighting at the venue bathed the space in pleasing shades of buttercup, peach, lavender, sky blue, and sea foam green, models walked with the languid stride of ’70s greats. — Alison S. Cohn, Harper's BAZAAR, 16 Feb. 2022 As a reminder, lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) is an invasive spring ephemeral perennial plant, also known as fig buttercup, which has become more prevalent in home garden beds and lawns. — Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 2 May 2021 Columbine – Aquilegia – Columbine is a cool season perennial that is a member of the buttercup or ranunculus family. — Janet Carson, Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2021 Similar in shape to a butternut (but about half the size), this hybrid is a cross between a butternut and a buttercup. — Jeanmarie Brownson, chicagotribune.com, 30 Oct. 2020 The backdrop to those videos—two elegant walls of cabinetry drenched in Farrow & Ball's Babouche, a warm buttercup—is at once warm and playful, an apt backdrop to Sheehan's sunny disposition. — Amanda Sims Clifford, House Beautiful, 17 Nov. 2020 This diverse group of fruits of various members of the gourd family come in all shapes, sizes, color and patterns, including pumpkins, butternut, Hubbard, spaghetti, acorn and buttercup. — Jeanmarie Brownson, chicagotribune.com, 30 Oct. 2020 See More

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