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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Any of numerous plants of the genus Primula, having well-developed basal leaves and tubular, variously colored flowers grouped in umbels or heads with a funnel-shaped or salverlike corolla and a tube much longer than the calyx.
  2. n. An evening primrose.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A plant of the genus Primula; especially, a variety of Primula veris, in which the flowers appear as if on separate peduncles, the short common stalk being hidden beneath the base of the leaves. Several of the best-known species and varieties, however, have independent names, as auricula, cowslip, oxlip, and polyanthus. See cut under Primula. See also the phrases below.
  2. n. One of a few other plants with some resemblance to the primrose. See the phrases below.
  3. n. The first or earliest flower; a spring flower.
  4. n. Figuratively, the first or choicest; the flower.
  5. n. In heraldry, a quatrefoil used as a bearing.
  6. n. A pale and somewhat greenish-yellow color.
  7. n. A coal-tar color used in dyeing, being the potassium ethyl salt of tetrabrom-fluorescein. It is mostly used in silk-dyeing, producing pinkish-yellow shades.
  8. Of or belonging to a primrose; specifically, resembling a primrose in color; paleyellow.
  9. Abounding with primroses; flowery; gay.

Wiktionary

  1. n. An early-flowering plant of the genus Primula, with white, red, or yellow flowers.
  2. n. A plant of the family Primulaceae.
  3. n. A plant of the genus Oenothera.
  4. n. Specifically, the species Primula vulgaris.
  5. n. A flower of a primrose plant.
  6. n. A light yellow colour.
  7. adj. Of a light yellow colour.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. An early flowering plant of the genus Primula (Primula vulgaris) closely allied to the cowslip. There are several varieties, as the white-, the red-, the yellow-flowered, etc. Formerly called also primerole, primerolles.
  2. n. Any plant of the genus Primula.
  3. adj. Of or pertaining to the primrose; of the color of a primrose; -- hence, flowery; gay.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. any of numerous short-stemmed plants of the genus Primula having tufted basal leaves and showy flowers clustered in umbels or heads

Etymologies

  1. Latin primus ("first"), + rose (Wiktionary)
  2. Middle English primerose, from Old French, from Medieval Latin prīma rosa, first rose : Latin prīma, feminine of prīmus, first; see prime + Latin rosa, rose. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “Elsewhere they would be called primrose, but the use of the Latin name is appropriate for this place.”

    Archive 2008-03-01

  • “Many and many a time they visited the enchanted castle; and ever since Lisbeth told the story to her friends, the boys and girls of Germany have called the primrose the”

    The Enchanted Castle A Book of Fairy Tales from Flowerland

  • “To know a primrose is a higher thing than to know all the botany of it — just as to know Christ is an infinitely higher thing than to know all theology, all that is said about his person, or babbled about his work.”

    Unspoken Sermons Second Series

  • “And it was nothing more, 'would have been a whit roused from its apathy by the information that the primrose is a Dicotyledonous Exogen, with a monopetalous corolla and”

    Who Wrote the Bible? : a Book for the People

  • “To know a primrose is a higher thing than to know all the botany of it -- just as to know Christ is an infinitely higher thing than to know all theology, all that is said about his person, or babbled about his work.”

    Unspoken Sermons Series I., II., and II.

  • “And it was nothing more, -- would have been a whit roused from its apathy, by the information that the primrose is a Dicotyledonous Exogen, with a monopetalous corolla and central placentation.”

    Lay Sermons, Addresses and Reviews

  • “And it was nothing more, -- would have been a whit roused from its apathy by the information that the primrose is a Dicotyledonous Exogen, with a monopetalous corolla and central placentation.”

    Science & Education

  • “On the whole, the primrose is a poet's and a painter's flower.”

    Sunny Memories Of Foreign Lands, Volume 1

  • “The Brummel school -- that is, the primrose-glove adventurers -- were a very different order of men from the present-day fellows, who take a turn in Circassia or China, or a campaign with Garibaldi; and who, with all their defects, are men of mettle and pluck and daring.”

    Cornelius O'Dowd Upon Men And Women And Other Things In General

  • “Now it is to tell us that he has found yellow archangel growing under a sequestered hedge "on the left hand as you go from the village of Hampstead, near London, to the church," or that "this amiable and pleasant kind of primrose" (a sort of oxlip) was first brought to light by Mr. Hesketh, "a diligent searcher after simples," in a Yorkshire wood.”

    Gossip in a Library

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synonyms (2)

Words with the same meaning

  1. gay
  1. primula

hypernyms (2)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. herbaceous plant
  1. Herb

hyponyms (14)

Words that are more specific

  1. primula elatior
  2. cowslip
  1. auricula
  2. chinese primrose
  1. Polyanthus
  2. primula vulgaris
  1. primula veris
  2. bear's-ear
  1. oxlip
  2. english primrose
  1. primula sinensis
  2. paigle
  1. primula polyantha
  2. primula auricula

same context (23)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. daffodil
  2. daisy
  3. pansy
  4. cowslip
  1. hawthorn
  2. crocus
  3. jonquils
  4. larkspur
  1. violet
  2. buttercup
  3. borage
  4. jasmine
  1. columbine
  2. peony
  3. heliotrope
  4. poppy
  1. tulip
  2. narcissus
  3. lilac
  4. marigold
  1. anemone
  2. iris
  3. celandine

reverse dictionary (61)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. oxlip
  2. auricula
  3. bear's-ear
  4. cowslip
  5. ozark sundrops
  6. paigle
  7. Polyanthus
  8. primula auricula
  9. primula elatior
  10. primula polyantha
  11. primula sinensis
  12. missouri primrose
  1. oenothera macrocarpa
  2. chinese primrose
  3. sundrops
  4. erythrin
  5. clove-strip
  6. primerole
  7. primrose
  8. duchesse lace
  9. eardrop
  10. cyclamen
  11. scurvish
  12. bird's-eye
  1. primet
  2. salver-shaped
  3. heterostyled
  4. calycanthemy
  5. herb-peter
  6. lady-key
  7. streptocarpus
  8. free central placentation
  9. tetramerous
  10. evening primrose
  11. gesneriad
  12. Rosebery
  1. genus streptocarpus
  2. circaea lutetiana
  3. Onagra
  4. onagraceous
  5. primrose league
  6. Primula
  7. primulaceous
  8. soldanel
  9. suncup
  10. lopezia
  11. Lysimachia
  12. lysimachieæ
  1. onagrarieæ
  2. pimpernel
  3. primulaceæ
  4. samolus
  5. scape
  6. soldanella
  7. spink
  8. cureall
  9. flax-star
  10. kotukutuku
  11. œnotheraceæ
  12. saltation
  1. scabish

tags (5)

Free-form, user-generated categorization

  1. flower
  1. yellow
  1. ccvccvcv
  1. heraldry
  1. dye

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Lists

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Comments

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  • hernesheir Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
    Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
    Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,
    Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads
    And recks not his own rede. - Ophelia in Hamlet, (Act I, Scene III). Apr 14, 2011

  • gangerh But not quite a primandproperrose? Feb 17, 2008

  • anydelirium This is as opposed to a loose rose. Feb 17, 2008

  • brtom Buck Mulligan's primrose waistcoat shook gaily to his laughter.

    Joyce, Ulysses, 10 Jan 6, 2007

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‘primrose’ has been looked up 1929 times, loved by 7 people, added to 50 lists, commented on 4 times, and has a Scrabble score of 12.