Definition

Noun: 1. A common name for various plants, especially those with five-petaled flowers or leaves divided into five parts: This term is often used for plants in the genus Potentilla (cinquefoils) and related species, which are found in temperate regions and have been used in traditional medicine. 2. (Informal, dated) A starfish: In older or more informal contexts, it can refer to a starfish, an echinoderm with (typically) five arms.

Examples

• Noun (Plant):
  • The meadow was dotted with yellow five-finger.
  • Some herbalists use five-finger root in their preparations.
• Noun (Starfish):
  • The child found a five-finger in the tidal pool. (This usage is now less common; "starfish" is standard.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in botanical contexts. When referring to the marine animal, "starfish" or "sea star" is the preferred modern term.

Variants and Related Words

• Cinquefoil: A more formal botanical synonym for many plants called five-finger, from the French for "five leaves."
• Potentilla: The scientific genus name for many five-finger plants.

Synonyms

• (For the plant) Cinquefoil, silverweed, tormentil (specific species).
• (For the animal) Starfish, sea star.

Related Phrases

• Five-finger discount: (Slang, idiomatic) An act of shoplifting.
  • Example: He didn't pay for that candy bar; it was a five-finger discount.

Noun

1. any of a numerous plants grown for their five-petaled flowers; abundant in temperate regions; alleged to have medicinal properties