Definition

Noun: 1. A small annual flowering plant: A common European wildflower (Anagallis arvensis) with small, typically scarlet (but also sometimes white, blue, or purple) flowers that close in cloudy or rainy weather. It is also known as the "poor man's weatherglass" due to this characteristic. 2. A literary and historical reference: The alias adopted by Sir Percy Blakeney, the fictional hero of Baroness Orczy's novel The Scarlet Pimpernel, who rescues aristocrats during the French Revolution.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Plant):
  • The scarlet pimpernel is a common sight along the edges of fields and roadsides.
  • You can predict rain when the scarlet pimpernel closes its petals.
• Noun (Literary Character):
  • "They seek him here, they seek him there..." is a famous line about the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel.
  • The identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel was a secret known only to a few.

Advanced Usage

• "Poor man's weatherglass": A common nickname for the scarlet pimpernel plant, highlighting its folk use as a simple weather predictor.
  • Before modern forecasts, farmers might have glanced at the poor man's weatherglass for a hint of coming rain.

Variants and Related Words

• Anagallis arvensis (n): The scientific Latin name for the scarlet pimpernel plant.
• Blue pimpernel (n): A variant of the same plant species with blue flowers ( subsp. ).

Synonyms

• For the plant: Poor man's weatherglass, red pimpernel, shepherd's clock.
• For the character: Sir Percy Blakeney (his real name within the fiction).

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "As elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel": Used to describe someone who is very difficult to find or catch, directly referencing the fictional character.
  • Our manager has been as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel this week; no one can track him down for a meeting.

Noun

1. herb with scarlet or white or purple blossoms that close at approach of rainy weather