Definition

Noun: 1. A common Old World herb (Ornithogalum umbellatum): A perennial plant characterized by grass-like leaves and clusters of star-shaped white flowers with distinctive green stripes on the outer surface. It is known for its tendency to open its flowers late in the day. It has been introduced and become established in the eastern United States.

Usage Notes

• This term is primarily a common name for a specific plant species in botanical contexts.
• It is considered a compound noun ("sleepy dick") that functions as a single unit to name the plant. The individual words "sleepy" and "dick" do not independently describe the plant's characteristics in modern usage.
• The plant is also widely known by other common names, such as Star of Bethlehem.

Examples

• Noun:
  • A patch of sleepy dick bloomed under the oak tree.
  • The garden guide identified the white-flowered herb as sleepy dick.
  • Sleepy dick has naturalized in many parts of the eastern U.S.

Advanced Usage

• The name is often used in field guides, botanical literature, and by gardeners familiar with heirloom or naturalized plant species.

Variants and Related Words

• Star of Bethlehem: The most common alternative name for the same plant ().
• Summer snowflake: A name sometimes used for related species, which can cause confusion.
• Ornithogalum umbellatum: The formal botanical (Latin) name for the species.

Synonyms

• Star of Bethlehem
• Nap-at-noon (another common name referencing its flowering habit)

Notes on Different Meanings

• The compound noun "sleepy dick" has no other standard meanings in modern English. It is not an idiom or a phrasal verb. The constituent words ("sleepy," "dick") carry their own separate, common meanings which are unrelated to this botanical term.

Noun

1. common Old World herb having grasslike leaves and clusters of star-shaped white flowers with green stripes; naturalized in the eastern United States