columbine

noun col·um·bine \ ˈkä-ləm-ˌbīn \

|Updated on: 26 May 2018

Definition of columbine

: any of a genus (Aquilegia) of plants of the buttercup family with irregular showy spurred flowers: such as

a : a red-flowered plant (A. canadensis) of eastern North America

b : a blue-flowered plant (A. caerulea) of the Rocky Mountains

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Recent Examples of columbine from the Web

Regretfully some like the peonies, iris and columbine still do not grow locally but others do.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Great flowers that need an early start," 11 May 2018
Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "Want summer veggies? Get to work | The Sacramento Bee," 5 May 2018
Continue to deadhead: Remove faded, dead flowers from cool-season bedding plants, such as foxglove, columbine, snapdragon and dianthus.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "This week's gardening tips: stake tomato plants and add sod," 29 Apr. 2018
Honey Dijon,’ and ‘Sombreuil’ roses, as well as a supporting cast of columbine, bearded iris, Japanese snowberry, honeysuckle, and plum.

— Sunset, "22 Favorite Roses to Grow," 22 Jan. 2018
After flowering, foxgloves, columbine and delphiniums should be pulled up.

— NOLA.com, "This week's gardening tips: don't miss the camellia show," 27 Jan. 2018
The dry prairie along the bluff top is home to little bluestem, wild bergamot, columbine and silky aster — a colorful display in the spring.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Maiden Rock Bluff offers some of the best views along the Great River Road," 8 Mar. 2018
Camelot foxgloves and Swan columbines are both Louisiana Super Plants selections.

— NOLA.com, "This week's gardening tips: don't miss the camellia show," 27 Jan. 2018
Sandy O'Brien, a member of the Friends of Fred Rose Park, said most of the flowers planted at the Fred Rose Lakeshore Park live in the park, including wild columbine.

— karen caffarini, Post-Tribune, "'Adopting' parks puts blooms in Hobart," 21 July 2017

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

Illustration of columbine

Origin and Etymology of columbine

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin columbina, from Latin, feminine of columbinus like a dove, from columba dove; akin to Old High German holuntar elder tree, Greek kolymbos a small grebe, kelainos black

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

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