carnation

noun

car·​na·​tion kär-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce carnation (audio)
1
: a plant of any of numerous often cultivated and usually double-flowered varieties or subspecies of an Old World pink (Dianthus caryophyllus) found in many color variations
2
: a moderate red
3
archaic : the variable color of human flesh

Examples of carnation in a Sentence

The groom wore a carnation in his buttonhole.
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.
Published May 1, 1987 The new $240 million Sunshine Skyway bridge opened Thursday with a procession of cars, 2,000 yellow balloons and a memorial bouquet of 35 white carnations, one for each traveler who perished in the 1980 disaster. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025 Minutes before the ceremony, Noah's mother gave her a bouquet of blood-red carnations. Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 6 May 2025 Traditionally, even before the official holiday was declared, vendors sold carnations for churchgoers to wear, red for those whose mother was living and white for those whose mother had died. Rebecca Schneid, Time, 2 May 2025 The artists aren’t just using popular flowers like roses and carnations, Carmichael-Morgan notes. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for carnation

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Old Italian carnagione, from carne flesh, from Latin carn-, caro

First Known Use

circa 1535, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of carnation was circa 1535

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnation. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

carnation

noun
car·​na·​tion kär-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce carnation (audio)
1
: a moderate red
2
: any of the numerous cultivated herbs of the genus of pinks with reddish, pink, yellow, or white usually double flowers

More from Merriam-Webster on carnation

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