Hyacinth

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhaɪəsɪnθ/

Definitions

1. A fragrant spring-flowering bulbous plant with dense spikes of small tubular blossoms in shades of blue, purple, pink, or white
2. A bulbous flowering plant producing densely clustered small bell-shaped blooms in various colors, prized for its sweet fragrance and spring blooming
3. A fragrant garden plant grown from bulbs that yields compact flower spikes in blue, purple, pink, white, or other hues during springtime

Etymology: In ancient Greek myth, the hyacinth sprang from the blood of Hyakinthos, a beautiful youth accidentally killed by Apollo with a discus, and the petals were said to bear marks resembling a cry of grief. The flower itself was named for him, or he for it, and the Greek word "huakinthos" was applied to several dark blue blooms. The name's ultimate origin lies in a non-Indo-European language of the Mediterranean, so its earliest form is lost to us. The word reached English by two routes. Middle English "jacinth" came through Old French and Medieval Latin and referred to a gemstone, while Old English "iacinþ" arrived through Medieval Latin as well. Scholars re-Latinized the spelling in the 16th century, which pulled the form back toward the Greek "hyacinthus" and produced the modern "hyacinth" we use for the flower.

Synonyms: bulb, flower, plant, perennial, herb