Queen of the Night

noun

variants or queen of the night or Queen of the Night cactus or queen of the night cactus

: night-blooming cereus

Perhaps the most popular night bloomers are the jasmine, like my neighbor's, or the night-blooming cereus, sometimes called "Queen of the Night" because of its showy, fragrant white flowers that only open at night.

—Jill Carroll

also : the usually large, white flower of a night-blooming cereus

Among the things that make it different from a daylight visit: night-blooming flowers, such as queen of the night, a white cactus blossom that unfolds when the sun goes down.

—Randy Cordova

Examples of Queen of the Night in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Midnight Aura pays homage to the Queen of the Night cacti with a vibrant burst of prickly pear and raspberry, grounded by the alluring flower and a musky amber base. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 18 July 2026

There’s a Queen of the Night, with jasmine sambac absolute and rose essence; a benzoin duo with ylang-ylang and Virginia cedar, and tonka beans with vanilla bean and white musk notes. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 17 July 2026

The troublesome Queen of the Night dazzles with high notes that shoot out like daggers. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026

Lewek holds the record for the most performances as the Queen of the Night at the Metropolitan Opera, with 85 performances, and has sung the role more than 350 times worldwide. — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Queen of the Night

• granodiorite
• keratinocyte
• microsatellite
• montmorillonite
• reticulocyte
• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite