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  1. laburnum love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Any of several trees or shrubs of the genus Laburnum, especially L. anagyroides, which is cultivated for its drooping clusters of yellow flowers.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A small leguminous tree, Cytisus Laburnum, a native of the Alps and neighboring mountains, much cultivated for the beauty of its pendulous racemes of yellow peashaped flowers. Its seeds contain two poisonous alkaloids, cytisin and lahurnine. The heart-wood is dark colored, coarse-grained, but hard and durable, and much in demand among cabinet-makers and turners, whence the names ebony of the Alps and false ebony given to it. Also called goldenchain and bean-trefoil.
  2. n. One of numerous other species of the same genus, or of some similar plants of other genera. The Scotch laburnum of the gardens, with larger leaves and flowers, is, Cytisus alpinus. The evergreen or Nepāl laburnum is Piptanthus Nepalensis. The New Zealand laburnum is either of the two varieties of Sophora tetraptera.

Wiktionary

  1. n. Any tree of genus Laburnum, which have bright yellow flowers and are poisonous.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. (Bot.) A small leguminous tree (Cytisus Laburnum), native of the Alps. The plant is reputed to be poisonous, esp. the bark and seeds. It has handsome racemes of yellow blossoms.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. flowering shrubs or trees having bright yellow flowers; all parts of the plant are poisonous

Etymologies

  1. New Latin Laburnum, genus name, from Latin laburnum, broad-leaved bean-trefoil, perhaps of Etruscan origin. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “Irishman dwelling with Englishmen, was directed to have a bow of his own height made of yew, wych-hazel, ash, or awburne -- that is, laburnum, which is still styled "awburne saugh," or awburne willow, in many parts of Scotland.”

    The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 13, No. 369, May 9, 1829

  • “The windows were open, and the orioles were singing in the great elm-tree, and the laburnum was a bower of gold.”

    Margaret Montfort

  • “Tabex tablets contain cytosine, a substance found in the seeds of a tree called laburnum that produces yellow pea-flowers, which mimics the effect of nicotine.”

    The Seattle Times

  • “The laburnum is the train, and there are the signal-boxes, and the road up to here — and those fat red daisies are us three waving to the old gentleman — that’s him, the pansy in the laburnum train.””

    The Railway Children

  • “The laburnum is the train, and there are the signal-boxes, and the road up to here -- and those fat red daisies are us three waving to the old gentleman -- that's him, the pansy in the laburnum train. ”

    The Railway Children

  • “A sheltering stand of laburnum surrounding an abandoned and unappreciated statue of Leda and her swan.”

    Simon & Schuster: Earl of Durkness

  • “Cat pointed toward the shrubbery, the secluded stand of laburnum, Leda and her god hidden away in eternal orgasm.”

    Simon & Schuster: Earl of Durkness

  • “A cock yellowhammer sings insistently from a laburnum tree as I quit the lanes and walk woodland paths where last anemones wilt into emerald moss.”

    The Guardian: Country diary: Harlech

  • “And this is the thought he has with him as he passes through the yellow laburnum flowers without ducking, like he usually does.”

    Simon & Schuster: The Redleys

  • “They duck under the flowers of a laburnum tree and Clara knows that her brother wants to say something else.”

    Simon & Schuster: The Redleys

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hypernyms (1)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. rosid dicot genus

same context (24)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. syringa
  2. thick-leaved
  3. huckleberry
  4. azalea
  1. nut tree
  2. eglantine
  3. convolvulus
  4. mistletoe
  1. dogwood
  2. immortelle
  3. myall
  4. lantana
  1. stephanotis
  2. sycamore
  3. linden
  4. single-story
  1. sloe
  2. live oak
  3. mimosa
  4. wistaria
  1. bryony
  2. heliotrope
  3. comfrey
  4. poet laureate

reverse dictionary (19)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. bean trefoil
  2. awber
  3. cytisin
  1. goldenchain
  2. laburnic
  3. laburnine
  1. laburnum
  2. golden-shower
  3. silverchain
  1. clover-tree
  2. golden chain
  3. petteria
  1. scotch laburnum
  2. genus petteria
  3. golden rain
  1. laburnum alpinum
  2. laburnum anagyroides
  3. alpine golden chain
  1. common laburnum

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  1. flower
  1. tree
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  • knitandpurl "Philip straggled away to the window and looked out dismally at the soaked lawn and the dripping laburnum trees, and the row of raindrops hanging fat and full on the iron gate."
    The Magic City by E. Nesbit, p 3 of the SeaStar Books paperback edition Oct 28, 2010

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‘laburnum’ has been looked up 1893 times, loved by 2 people, added to 16 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 12.