dandelion

noun

dan·​de·​li·​on ˈdan-də-ˌlī-ən 

-dē-

: any of a genus (Taraxacum) of yellow-flowered composite herbs with milky sap

especially : one (T. officinale) sometimes grown as a potherb and nearly cosmopolitan as a weed

Illustration of dandelion

Examples of dandelion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Vicente Arroyos, Kyle Johnson, and Vikram Iyer/University of Washington This research builds on the researchers’ earlier work published in 2022, demonstrating sensors that can disperse in air like dandelion seeds. —IEEE Spectrum, 29 Sep. 2023

Each recipe is labeled according to its ingredients: black rice, snap peas, pea sprouts, black garlic tofu or dandelion greens, roasted potatoes, romesco. —Michelle Huneven, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023

What’s so great about dandelion tea, and why did its popularity stand the test of time? —Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2023

Weed Control If broadleaf weeds like dandelions have taken over your lawn, now’s the time to fight back. —Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2023

Certain herbal teas such as dandelion tea or milk thistle tea are thought to have diuretic properties that support kidney function. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 8 Aug. 2023

Also, a single dandelion casts up to 200 seeds per flower, so digging it out prevents hundreds of potential new weeds the following spring. —Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023

My husband recently put down black landscape fabric all around it, in an effort to control the dandelions and other plants that were growing beneath it. —oregonlive, 22 July 2023

One avenue is to purchase a prepared dandelion tea variety. —Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English dendelyoun, from Anglo-French dent de lion, literally, lion's tooth

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dandelion

noun

dan·​de·​li·​on ˈdan-də-ˌlī-ən 

: any of a genus of yellow-flowered weedy plants related to the daisies

especially : one with long deeply toothed stemless leaves sometimes grown as a potherb

Etymology

from early French dent de lion "dandelion," literally, "tooth of the lion"; dent derived from Latin dens "tooth" — related to dental

Word Origin

Sometimes plants are named for their resemblance, real or imagined, to animal shapes. The dandelion might not be a plant we would be quick to connect with a lion's teeth. And yet, in early French this common plant with its yellow flowers was called dent de lion, meaning literally "tooth of the lion." The dandelion leaves have deep notches along the edges. These make the leaves appear to have a row of sharp triangular teeth. In time the French name came to be spelled and pronounced as one word when it came into English, giving us dandelion today.

Medical Definition

dandelion

noun

dan·​de·​li·​on ˈdan-dᵊl-ˌī-ən 

: any plant of the genus Taraxacum

especially : an herb (T. officinale) sometimes grown as a potherb and nearly cosmopolitan as a weed