Wakerobin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. a plant of the trillium genus with three-petaled flowers that bloom in spring
2. a woodland herb from the trillium family displaying three petals and typically growing in shaded areas
3. a trillium species characterized by three-parted flowers that emerge during early spring months

Etymology: Wake-robin is a compound of "wake" and "robin," but the robin in the name is not the bird. The first element is most likely the verb "wake," meaning to rouse from sleep, a reference to the plant pushing up and flowering in early spring as the season stirs. The second element, "robin," appears in several old English plant names, such as "robin-run-the-hedge" and "robin-in-the-hedge," where it seems to be a familiar personal name applied to small wild things. Wake-robin itself is a noun, the name of the trillium plant with its three-parted flowers. Because the plant bears its name from the moment it wakes, the compound reads almost like a seasonal calendar entry. Its first element does the work of signalling spring, while the second element is a common personal-name nickname that English speakers attached to many small wild plants and birds.