wallflower

wallflower
/wawl"flow'euhr/, n.
1. a person who, because of shyness, unpopularity, or lack of a partner, remains at the side at a party or dance.
2. any person, organization, etc., that remains on or has been forced to the sidelines of any activity: The firm was a wallflower in this year's bidding for government contracts.
3. a European plant, Cheiranthus cheiri, of the mustard family, that, when growing wild on walls, cliffs, etc., has sweet-scented, usually yellow or orange flowers, but when cultivated has flowers varying in color from pale yellow to brown-red or purple.
4. any of several related plants of the genera Cheiranthus and Erysimum.
[1570-80; WALL + FLOWER]

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▪ plant
 any of several plants belonging to the genera Cheiranthus and Erysimum of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), so named for their habit of growing from chinks in walls. Some golden- or brown-flowering species are widely cultivated. The European wallflower (C. cheiri), native to cliffsides and meadows of southern Europe, is naturalized in Great Britain. It is biennial to perennial, with erect, 70-cm (28-inch) stalks bearing spikelike, fragrant clusters of golden to brown, four-petaled flowers. The western wallflower (E. asperum), a 90-cm (35-inch) perennial found on prairies, sand hills, and open woods in central to western North America, produces fragrant, yellow to orange flowers borne on spikes that, like those of C. cheiri, eventually become quite long.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Wallflower — Wall flow er, n. 1. (Bot.) A perennial, cruciferous plant ({Cheiranthus Cheiri}), with sweet scented flowers varying in color from yellow to orange and deep red. In Europe it very common on old walls. [1913 Webster] Note: The name is sometimes… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wallflower — (n.) 1570s, flowering plant cultivated in gardens, from WALL (Cf. wall) (n.) + FLOWER (Cf. flower) (n.). Colloquial sense of woman who sits by the wall at parties, often for want of a partner is first recorded 1820 …   Etymology dictionary

  • wallflower — ► NOUN 1) a plant with fragrant flowers that bloom in early spring. 2) informal a girl who has no one to dance with at a dance or party …   English terms dictionary

  • wallflower — [wôl′flou΄ər] n. 1. any of a number of perennial or annual garden plants (genera Cheiranthus and Erysimum) of the crucifer family, having racemes of cross shaped flowers, usually yellow or orange; esp., a common perennial ( C. cheiri) having… …   English World dictionary

  • wallflower — I. Wallflower (UK) A woman politician given an unimportant government position so that the government can pretend it takes women seriously is a wallflower. II. Wallflower (USA) A shy person who is not asked to dance is a wallflower …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • Wallflower — Stock that has fallen out of favor with investors; tends to have a low P/E ( price to earnings ratio). The New York Times Financial Glossary * * * wallflower wall‧flow‧er [ˈwɔːlˌflaʊə ǁ ˈwɒːlˌflaʊər] noun [countable] JOURNALISM FINANCE an… …   Financial and business terms

  • wallflower — stock that has fallen out of favor with investors; stock that tends to have a low P/E ( price to earnings ratio). Bloomberg Financial Dictionary * * * wallflower wall‧flow‧er [ˈwɔːlˌflaʊə ǁ ˈwɒːlˌflaʊər] noun [countable] JOURNALISM FINANCE an… …   Financial and business terms

  • wallflower — [[t]wɔ͟ːlflaʊə(r)[/t]] wallflowers 1) N COUNT A wallflower is a plant that is grown in gardens and has sweet smelling yellow, red, orange, or purple flowers. 2) N COUNT If you say that someone is a wallflower, you mean that they are shy and do… …   English dictionary

  • wallflower — UK [ˈwɔːlˌflaʊə(r)] / US [ˈwɔlˌflaʊr] noun [countable] Word forms wallflower : singular wallflower plural wallflowers 1) informal someone at a social event who has no one to dance with or talk to, often because they are shy 2) a plant with yellow …   English dictionary

  • wallflower — geltonžiedė smalka statusas T sritis vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Cheiranthus cheiri angl. common wallflower; gillyflower; wallflower vok. echter Goldlack; gemeiner Goldlack rus. желтофиоль садовая; лакфиоль обыкновенная lenk. lak pachnący; lak… …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

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