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.

Noun

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