Amaryllid

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A plant belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae, which includes amaryllis, daffodils, and snowdrops
2. Any member of the large plant family Amaryllidaceae, characterized by bulbous growth and often showy flowers
3. A bulbous or rhizomatous plant from the Amaryllidaceae family, which encompasses many ornamental and wild species

Etymology: "Amaryllid" names any member of the Amaryllidaceae, the plant family that includes daffodils, snowdrops and the amaryllis itself. The suffix "-id" marks a family member in botanical naming, so the word is simply the family name turned into a noun for its members. The family takes its name from the genus Amaryllis, which in turn comes from Ancient Greek "amarussō", meaning "to dazzle" or "to sparkle." The name points to the flowers' bright, showy blooms, which is why a plant of such striking appearance was given a name that describes light. Botanists later used that genus name as the basis for the whole family, so the dazzle of the original flower now spreads across dozens of related genera.

Synonyms: amaryllis