celandine
pronunciation
How to pronounce celandine in British English:
UK [ˈseləndaɪn]
How to pronounce celandine in American English:
US [ˈsɛlənˌdaɪn, -ˌdin]
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- Noun:
- North American annual plant with usually yellow or orange flowers; grows chiefly on wet rather acid soil
- perennial herb with branched woody stock and bright yellow flowers
Word Origin
- celandine
- celandine: [12] Etymologically the celandine, a buttercup-like spring flower, is the ‘swallow’s’ flower. Its name comes, via Old French, from Greek khelidonion, which was based on khelidon ‘swallow’. The original reference was no doubt to the appearance of the flowers around the time when the swallows began to arrive in Europe from Africa. Its juice was used in former times as a remedy for poor eyesight, and, no doubt in an over-interpretation of the name, it was said that swallows used the juice to boost the sight of their young.