Columbine

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒləmˌbaɪn/

Definitions

1. A plant with showy bell-shaped flowers typically in blue, pink, or white; a type of butterfly known for its delicate, colorful wings; historically, a theatrical character symbolizing a witty and playful maidservant
2. A flowering herb with distinctive spurred petals commonly grown as an ornamental; a butterfly species that frequents gardens; a stock character in Italian comedy noted for cleverness and charm
3. A perennial garden flower featuring nodding, spurred blooms in various hues; a butterfly popular among naturalists for its bright patterns; a comedic figure from classical stage plays characterized by quick wit and sprightliness

Etymology: The columbine flower gets its name from doves. Its Latin name, "colombina herba," meant "dove-like plant," and the comparison was to the flower's shape: its petals curve into spurs and cluster together so that, to a medieval eye, five birds seemed to sit in a circle on one stem. The image is the whole basis of the name. The Latin adjective "columbinus" ("of a dove") came from "columba," the ordinary Latin word for dove or pigeon. It passed into Old French as "columbin," and then into Middle English as "columbyne," which became the modern English spelling. The word therefore descends from a bird's name through a French intermediary rather than being borrowed directly from Latin. Because the plant's name is tied to the bird, the flower and the dove remain linked in English. The shape that inspired the name is also why the same flower is recognisable in gardens and in old herbals alike.

Synonyms: aquilegia