Dianthous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or characteristic of Dianthus, the genus of flowering plants that includes carnations and pinks
2. Describing plants or features belonging to the pink genus Dianthus, such as carnations and sweet williams
3. Of or pertaining to the botanical genus Dianthus, whose members are commonly known as pinks or carnations

Etymology: "Dianthous" is a botanical term meaning having two stamens-producing parts or, more precisely, bearing flowers with two stamens. It is built from Greek elements: "di-" meaning "two" and "anthos" meaning "flower," with the adjectival suffix "-ous" added in English. The root "anthos" appears in many scientific words, such as "anther," the pollen-bearing tip of a stamen, and "chrysanthemum," literally "golden flower." Botanists in the nineteenth century drew on these Greek building blocks to name plant features precisely, so "dianthous" is a technical coinage rather than an ancient word. It belongs to the same family of terms that describe flowers by how many of each part they carry.