Flowerlike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Resembling the form or features commonly associated with blossoms
2. Sharing characteristics or visual traits typical of flowering plants
3. Exhibiting traits or shapes that bring to mind the delicate structure of a flower

Etymology: "Flowerlike" is about as transparent as English compounds get: "flower" joined to the suffix "-like," meaning "resembling or having the qualities of." The suffix itself is ancient in English, descending from a Germanic root that gave Old English "gelic," meaning "of the same form or body," so the word is simply a flower with the appearance of one. The more unusual story lies in its sibling. "Flower" and "flour" are not just homophones: both come from the same Old French and Latin source, "flor," since fine flour was seen as the "flower" or best part of ground grain. Their meanings split over centuries, and "flourlike" once existed alongside "flowerlike" as a near-twin, so the two adjectives are a doublet, two forms of one word that took separate paths. Today "flourlike" describes something powdery or finely ground, while "flowerlike" keeps the botanical sense.

Synonyms: floral, blooming, blossom-like, petal-like, botanical

Antonyms: barren, leafless, unflowered, sterile, lifeless