ranunculus

noun

ra·​nun·​cu·​lus rə-ˈnəŋ-kyə-ləs 

plural ranunculus or ranunculuses or ranunculi rə-ˈnəŋ-kyə-ˌlī 

-ˌlē

: any of a large genus (Ranunculus of the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family) of chiefly perennial herbaceous plants with tuberous or fibrous roots and typically yellow, five-petaled, cup-shaped flowers and including one (R. asiaticus) of southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia widely cultivated for its white, yellow, pink, red, or orange flowers having multiple layers of petals see buttercup, lesser celandine

Examples of ranunculus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Millions of giant tecolote ranunculuses are expected to bloom this season across 55 acres. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026

The single-stem bunches—tulips, ranunculus, and anemones for spring—arrive in elegant glass vases with enclosure cards. —Air Mail, 14 Mar. 2026

Ranunculus Another gorgeous-yet-finicky flower is the ranunculus. —Cori Sears, The Spruce, 10 Mar. 2026

Starting in March and lasting for 10 weeks, 55 acres of blooming ranunculus – approximately 80 million flowers – explode with color. —Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, from diminutive of rana frog

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined above