flower
flower
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "flower" is /ˈflaʊər/.
Flow- /flaʊ/ - The "fl" is a consonant cluster, "ow" is a diphthong.
-er /ər/ - This is a schwa sound followed by an 'r' sound, forming a vocalic r.
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: flower
Plural Noun: flowers
Verb (base form): flower
Verb (third-person singular present): flowers
Verb (present participle): flowering
Verb (past tense/past participle): flowered
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The reproductive part of a plant, often brightly colored and fragrant, consisting of petals, sepals, stamens, and pistils, that typically bears seeds or fruit.
Synonyms: bloom, blossom, efflorescence
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this specific sense, as it's a specific biological part)
Definition 2: The finest or most desirable part or example of something.
Synonyms: prime, peak, zenith, cream, elite
Antonyms: dregs, worst, bottom
Verb
Definition 1: (Of a plant) to produce blossoms or flowers.
Synonyms: bloom, blossom, burgeon
Antonyms: wither, decay, fade
Definition 2: To develop or reach an optimal stage; to flourish.
Synonyms: flourish, thrive, prosper, mature
Antonyms: decline, wane, diminish
Examples of Use
Books:
" 'And, after all,' he said, 'what is a flower? A bit of colored fluff, no more.' " (From The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943)
"April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow, feeding A little life with dried tubers. Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade, And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten, And drank coffee, and talked for an hour. Bin gar keine Russin, stamm’ aus Litauen, echt deutsch. And when we were children, staying at the arch-duke’s, My cousin, he took me out on a sled, And I was frightened. He said, Marie, Marie, hold on tight. And down we went. In the mountains, there you feel free. I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter. What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man, You cannot say, or guess, for you know only A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of water. Only There is shadow under this red rock, (Come in under the shadow of this red rock), And I will show you something different from either Your shadow at morning striding behind you Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you; I will show you fear in a handful of dust. Frisch weht der Wind Der Heimat zu Mein Irisch Kind, Wo weilest du? ‘You gave me hyacinths first a year ago; ‘They called me the hyacinth girl.’ —Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden, Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither Living nor dead, and I knew nothing, Looking into the heart of light, the silence. Oed’ und leer das Meer. Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante, Is reputed to be the wisest woman in Europe, With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she, Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor, (Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!) Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks, The lady of situations. Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel, And here the one-eyed merchant, and this card, Which is blank, is something he carries on his back, Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find The Hanged Man. Fear death by water. I see crowds of people, walking round in a ring. Thank you. If you see dear Mrs. Equitone, Tell her I bring the horoscope myself: One must be so careful these days. Unreal City, Under the brown fog of a winter dawn, A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many, I had not thought death had undone so many. Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled, And each man fixed his eyes before his feet. Flowed up the hill and down King William Street, To where Saint Mary Woolnoth kept the hours With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine. There I saw one I knew, and stopped him, crying: ‘Stetson! You who were with me in the ships at Mylae! That corpse you planted last year in your garden, Has it begun to flower? Will it bloom this year? Or has the sudden frost disturbed its bed? Oh keep the Dog far hence, that’s friend to men, Or with his nails he’ll dig it up again! You! hypocrite lecteur! —mon semblable,—mon frère!’ " (From "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot, 1922)
Newspapers:
"The annual Chelsea Flower Show opens its gates today, showcasing the best of British and international horticulture." (Headline from The Guardian, 2024)
"Local farmers are reporting a good harvest this season, with the maize fields set to flower in the coming weeks." (Daily Nation, 2025)
Online Publications:
"How to identify common garden flower diseases and treat them naturally." (Article on Gardening Know How, accessed July 3, 2025)
"The tech industry continues to flower, attracting record investment despite global economic uncertainties." (Analysis piece on TechCrunch, 2025)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Music: "Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?" (From the song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" by Pete Seeger, 1955)
Film: In the movie Alice in Wonderland, Alice frequently encounters talking flowers. (e.g., Disney's Alice in Wonderland, 1951)
Television: "The flower shop on the corner is offering a special discount for Mother's Day." (Dialogue from a local news segment, "Good Morning America", 2025)
Video Games: Many video games feature collecting flowers for crafting or as quest items (e.g., Stardew Valley, where players can grow and sell various flowers).
General Public Discourse:
"I bought my mum a beautiful flower bouquet for her birthday." (Casual conversation)
"That new restaurant is really starting to flower; it's always packed now." (Discussion about a blossoming business)
"She wore a lovely flower in her hair to the wedding." (Observation)
"The artist's talent began to flower during his time studying in Paris." (Describing someone's developing abilities)
10 Famous Quotes Using Flower
"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet) - Note: While "flower" isn't explicitly used, "rose" is a type of flower, making this a highly relevant and famous quote about flowers.
"Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature." (Gérard de Nerval, Les Filles du Feu)
"Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling." (Margaret Lee Runbeck) - Note: While not using "flower", this quote is about the journey, similar to how a flower develops over time, and is often misattributed or paraphrased to imply "Happiness is a garden, not a single flower." It captures a similar sentiment of appreciating growth rather than just the end result.
"We are all flowers in the same garden." (African proverb)
"To see a World in a Grain of Sand / And a Heaven in a Wild Flower." (William Blake, "Auguries of Innocence")
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, / Old Time is still a-flying; / And this same flower that smiles today / Tomorrow will be dying." (Robert Herrick, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time")
"What a shame for a beautiful flower to die without blooming." (Japanese proverb)
"Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." (Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen)
"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." (Emperor of China, Mulan, 1998 film)
"The earth laughs in flowers." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series)
Etymology
The word "flower" has a really interesting journey through languages!
Think of it this way: at its very core, the idea behind "flower" is about something "blooming" or "thriving."
The word "flower" that we use today comes from Middle English (around the 12th-15th centuries), where it was spelled "flour" or "flur." This Middle English word was borrowed from Anglo-Norman French (the French spoken in England after the Norman Conquest), which used "flur" or "flour."
Before that, the French word came from the Latin word "flōs" (which becomes "flōrem" when you're talking about the object of a verb). This Latin word literally meant "flower" or "bloom."
And if we go back even further, the Latin "flōs" can be traced to an ancient root in Proto-Indo-European (a very old language that many European and Indian languages descend from). This root, believed to be something like "bʰleh₃-", meant "to thrive" or "to bloom."
So, the first known use and meaning in English, around the 13th century, was referring to the blossom of a plant, the colorful reproductive part.
Interestingly, the word "flower" also used to mean the "finest part" of something, especially the finest part of ground grain, which is why we have the word "flour" (as in, for baking). For a long time, "flower" and "flour" were actually spelled the same way! It wasn't until the 17th century that "flower" for the plant and "flour" for the grain powder started to get their separate, distinct spellings to avoid confusion, even though they still sound the same.
Also, it's worth noting that English had its own native words for "flower" before the Norman Conquest, like "blōstma," which is where our word "blossom" comes from. So, "flower," "bloom," and "blossom" are all related and share a common ancient root meaning "to bloom."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Flower
Flower power: A slogan and movement from the 1960s counterculture, symbolizing passive resistance and peace.
The flower of youth/manhood/etc.: Refers to the best, most vigorous, or most promising period of someone's life.
As fresh as a daisy: (Using a specific type of flower, but implying the general freshness of a flower) Meaning very fresh, healthy, and energetic.
To nip something in the bud: (Using a part of a flower's development) To stop something at an early stage before it can develop further or become a problem.
To come into flower: To bloom; to reach a stage of full development or beauty.
To flower forth: To appear or develop prominently; to come to fruition.
To be in full flower: To be at its peak of beauty, development, or activity.
Late bloomer: (Using a synonym "bloomer") Someone who develops talent or achieves success later in life than others.
A wallflower: Someone who is shy and remains on the sidelines at a social event, often leaning against a wall, like a flower against a wall.
No bed of roses: (Using a specific type of flower) Not an easy or comfortable situation.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of flower from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
