hyacinth

noun hy·a·cinth \ ˈhī-ə-(ˌ)sin(t)th , -sən(t)th \

|Updated on: 2 Jul 2018

Definition of hyacinth

1 a : a precious stone of the ancients sometimes held to be the sapphire

b : a gem zircon or hessonite

2 a : a plant of the ancients held to be a lily, iris, larkspur, or gladiolus

b : a bulbous perennial herb (Hyacinthus orientalis) of the lily family that is native to the Mediterranean region but is widely grown for its dense spikes of fragrant flowers — compare grape hyacinth, water hyacinth

3 : a light violet to moderate purple

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hyacinthine

play \ˌhī-ə-ˈsin(t)-thən\ adjective

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Recent Examples of hyacinth from the Web

White daffodils pop against a bed of whiter hyacinths.

— colleen barry, chicagotribune.com, "Nature shows off during Dutch tulip season," 8 Mar. 2018
Then there's hyacinth, which is such a beautiful flower.

— jenna rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Tory Burch Talks Building a Brand, Wellness, and Her Tenth Perfume Just Like Heaven," 14 May 2018
Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and crocuses have broken through, along with the blossoms of magnolia trees and crabapple trees, once again creating a palate of color.

— chuck crow, cleveland.com, "Lake View Cemetery's Daffodil Hill finally in full splendor (photos)," 6 May 2018
Tulips, hyacinths, and pansies were hung in baskets or planted in flower boxes on the barn.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Earth Day, Spring Cleaning At Hay Burr Inn Equine Rescue," 2 May 2018
Tulips, hyacinths, and zinnias are once again available for purchase and placement in your home (in preparation for their near-immediate deaths).

— kelly conaboy, The Cut, "Today Is the Perfect Day to Buy Peonies," 2 May 2018
These are the daffodils, tulips, crocus and hyacinths sold ready to bloom in garden centers, grocery stores and other retailers.

— jo ellen meyers sharp, Indianapolis Star, "The Hoosier Gardener: Ornamental pear trees bad for environment," 20 Apr. 2018
Burnett's opened for the season on St. Patrick's Day, and was offering early-season plants for sale, such as pansies and hyacinths.

— melanie savage, Courant Community, "Burnett's Country Gardens Welcomes Spring," 4 Apr. 2018
Here, the tulip hunter is rewarded with artistic compositions of tulips with their seasonal brethren, hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses and other springtime varieties.

— colleen barry, chicagotribune.com, "Nature shows off during Dutch tulip season," 8 Mar. 2018

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