primrose

/'primrouz/
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primrose

A small primrose blooms in a sunlit garden.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A type of flowering plant: A primrose is any of numerous short-stemmed plants of the genus Primula, characterized by tufted basal leaves and showy flowers that are often clustered together.
    • The flower of such a plant: The term also refers specifically to the colorful bloom of the primrose plant.
    • A pale yellow color: The name is used for a soft, light yellow color, reminiscent of some primrose flowers.
Usage and Examples
  • Noun (Plant/Flower):
    • The garden was full of primroses in the early spring.
    • She picked a delicate primrose and put it in a vase.
  • Noun (Color):
    • She painted the nursery walls a cheerful primrose.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
  • "The primrose path": This is an idiomatic expression referring to a life of ease and pleasure, often with the implication that it leads to moral decline or ruin. It originates from Shakespeare's .
    • He warned his son against the temptations of the primrose path.
Variants and Related Words
  • Primula (n): The botanical genus name for primroses and related plants like cowslips.
  • Evening primrose (n): A common name for plants in the genus , which are not true primroses but are named for their similar appearance and evening-blooming flowers in some species.
Synonyms
  • Cowslip (n): A specific type of primrose, , with yellow flowers.
  • Oxlip (n): Another plant in the genus, .
Idioms and Fixed Phrases
  • "To tread the primrose path": To pursue a life devoted to pleasure and luxury.
    • The novel's protagonist abandoned her duties to tread the primrose path.
primrose

A small primrose blooms in a sunlit garden.

Noun
  1. any of numerous short-stemmed plants of the genus Primula having tufted basal leaves and showy flowers clustered in umbels or heads