Definition

Noun: * A tall, leafy European biennial or perennial plant: This term refers to a specific plant known for its spectacular clusters of large, tubular pink-purple flowers. Its leaves yield the drug digitalis and are poisonous to livestock.

Usage Notes

• "Finger-flower" is a common name for a specific plant species. It is primarily used in botanical or horticultural contexts and is not a common word in everyday conversation.
• The name likely derives from the shape of the flowers, which can resemble the fingers of a glove, or from the plant's traditional use and appearance.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The garden's border was dominated by the striking pink spikes of the finger-flower.
  • Farmers are careful to keep livestock away from areas where finger-flower grows, due to its toxicity.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used interchangeably with the plant's more common names, foxglove or digitalis, especially when discussing its medicinal properties or toxicology.
  • The active compounds in finger-flower are used in heart medications.

Variants and Related Words

• Foxglove (n): The most widely used common name for the same plant ().
• Digitalis (n):
  • The genus name for this group of plants.
  • The drug derived from the leaves of these plants, used to treat heart conditions.

Synonyms

• Foxglove
• Digitalis (when referring to the plant itself)
• Fairy gloves (a less common folk name)
• Dead men's bells (a folk name alluding to its toxicity)

Different Meanings

• As a specific botanical common name, "finger-flower" does not have other unrelated meanings. Its meaning is fixed to the plant described.

Noun

1. tall leafy European biennial or perennial having spectacular clusters of large tubular pink-purple flowers; leaves yield drug digitalis and are poisonous to livestock