sweet william

noun

sweet wil·​liam ˌswēt-ˈwil-yəm 

variants often Sweet William

: a widely cultivated Old World pink (Dianthus barbatus) with small white to deep red or purple flowers often showily spotted, banded, or mottled and borne in flat-topped cymes

Illustration of sweet william

Examples of sweet william in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Their farmhouse front was decorated with an eye-catching garland and wreath of peonies and sweet william by Shane Connolly. — Emma Elwick-Bates, Vogue, 28 June 2022

Kate's bouquet honored royal tradition and her groom Kate's bouquet featured myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, and sweet William, a nod to the groom. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, 20 Apr. 2021

In turn, Kate, who married Prince William in April 2011, carried a bouquet by florist Shane Connolly that was almost entirely lily of the valley, as well as myrtle, sweet William, hyacinth and ivy. — Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, 12 Oct. 2018

Word History

Etymology

from the name William

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sweet william

noun

sweet wil·​liam swēt-ˈwil-yəm 

often capitalized W

: a widely grown Eurasian pink with small white to deep red or purple flowers that are often spotted or banded and grow in flat clusters on upright stems