pimpernel
/'pimpənel/
Definition
- Noun:
- A small plant of the genus Anagallis: A common name for various low-growing, often creeping, herbaceous plants, typically having small, brightly colored flowers.
- A European herb with edible leaves: Specifically, the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), a common garden herb with small, star-shaped flowers (often red, blue, or white) and leaves that can be used in salads.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The scarlet pimpernel is a common weed in fields and gardens.
- She added some young pimpernel leaves to the salad for a peppery flavor.
Advanced Usage
- "Scarlet Pimpernel": This specific term is also the title and nickname from a famous historical novel by Baroness Orczy, referring to a mysterious hero who rescues people during the French Revolution. The name was chosen because the flower is common and inconspicuous, yet vivid, much like the secretive character.
- He was known by the code name "the Scarlet Pimpernel."
Variants and Related Words
- Scarlet pimpernel (): The most common species, often with orange-red flowers.
- Blue pimpernel ( or ): A species with bright blue flowers.
- Bog pimpernel (): A species that prefers wet, boggy habitats.
Synonyms
- Poor man's weatherglass: A folk name for the scarlet pimpernel, as its flowers close in dull or wet weather.
- Shepherd's clock: Another folk name for the same reason.
Related Phrases
- To be as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel: An idiom based on the novel's character, meaning to be very difficult to find or catch.
- The fugitive has been as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Noun
-
any of several plants of the genus Anagallis
-
European garden herb with purple-tinged flowers and leaves that are sometimes used for salads
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