flower
[noun]
Synonyms:
- bloom, blossom, efflorescence
- elite, best, cream, crème de la crème, pick
[verb]
Synonyms:
- blossom, bloom, flourish, mature, open, unfold

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Related Words: bud, floret, shoot, spray

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. flow‧er¹ S2 W2 /ˈflaʊə $ -ər/ noun [countable]
[Word Family: adjective: flowered, flowery, flowering; verb: flower, deflower; noun: flower, flowering]
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: flor, flour, from Latin flos]

1. a coloured or white part that a plant or tree produces before fruit or seeds ⇒ floral:
a lovely rose bush with delicate pink flowers
fields full of beautiful wild flowers

2.
a small plant that produces beautiful flowers:
He wasn’t interested in growing flowers in the garden.
She bent down and picked a flower.
bunch/bouquet of flowers
The first night we met he gave me a bunch of flowers.
a beautiful flower arrangement (=flowers arranged together in an attractive way)

3. in flower a plant or tree that is in flower has flowers on it Synonym : in bloom:
It was May, and the apple trees were all in flower.
Roses start to come into flower in June.

4. the flower of something literary the best part of something:
young men killed in the flower of their youth

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. flower² verb [intransitive]
[Word Family: adjective: flowered, flowery, flowering; verb: flower, deflower; noun: flower, flowering]

1. to produce flowers:
Bulbs that you plant in the autumn should flower the following spring.

2. literary to develop in a very successful way Synonym : flourish:
the economic and social conditions that will allow democracy to flower

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

flower
noun
ADJ. bright, brilliantly-coloured, colourful | fragrant, scented, sweet-scented, sweet-smelling | delicate, tiny | huge | lily-like, star-shaped, etc. | exotic, rare | alpine, garden, wild, woodland | autumn, spring, etc. | seasonal | out-of-season | beautiful, lovely, pretty What lovely flowers!
fresh | cut They sell a few pot plants, but they mainly sell cut flowers.
dried, pressed | dead | artificial, fake | closed, open The flowers were still tightly closed.
daffodil, tulip, etc.
QUANT. bouquet, bunch
VERB + FLOWER have, produce It has deep pink scented flowers. It was the first year that the cactus had produced flowers.
come into If the winter weather is mild, plants may come into flower too early.
pollinate The flowers are pollinated by insects.
press
FLOWER + VERB go to seed, seed
FLOWER + NOUN bud, head, petal, seed, stalk, stem | bed, border | arrangement, arranger, arranging I'm learning flower arranging.
display | pot (also flowerpot) | basket, container, vase | garden | festival, show | market, seller, shop, stall | garland, wreath
PREP. in ~ It was June and the roses were in flower.
PHRASES a bank/carpet/mass of flowers The alleys were adorned with banks of flowers. The forest floor was a carpet of wild flowers.
covered in flowers The bush was absolutely covered in flowers.

NOTE flowers

grow ~    Tulips are grown everywhere. breed ~    She breeds orchids in her greenhouse. plant, put in ~    Autumn is the best time to plant peonies. dig out/up, take out ~    Dig up your geraniums before the first frosts. spray, water ~    It's a good idea to spray your roses against greenfly. prune roses deadhead ~    Don't forget to deadhead the pansies. pick (sb) ~    I picked some daffodils for you. smell ~    He stopped to smell the flowers. arrange ~    She arranged the tulips in a vase. bring/give/send/take (sb) ~    He took her flowers and chocolates. ~ grow    Daffodils grow wild in the mountains. ~ be in flower, be/come out, (be in) bloom, come into flower, come out, flower    The spring flowers were just coming out.    What time of year do daffodils flower? ~ smell    Some of these roses smell absolutely wonderful. ~ close/open (up)    You know it's summer when the first daisies open. ~ droop, wilt, wither    The petunias were already wilting in the hot sun. ~ be over    It was April and the snowdrops were long over. a bouquet/bunch/garland/posy/spray/vase of ~    a spray of mixed violets and primroses

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

flower

lovely/pretty/beautiful
They admired the lovely flowers in the garden.
delicate
The plant produces delicate purple flowers.
rare
A number of rare flowers grow in these woods.
dead
There were dead flowers in a vase of green water.
artificial
a basket of artificial flowers
a wild flower
The meadows were covered with wild flowers.
a garden flower
Dahlias have become one of the best loved garden flowers.
an exotic flower
We grow exotic flowers from all over the world.
a spring/summer/autumn/winter flower
The mountainsides were blanketed with spring flowers.
cut flowers
Make cut flowers last longer by changing the water in the vase.
dried flowers
She had brightened up the room with a vase of dried flowers.
a silk flower
She wore a huge silk flower in her hair.
flowers grow
Flowers were growing along the side of the road.
flowers bloom (=start appearing on a plant)
Spring flowers bloomed in the meadows.
flowers open
As the weather gets warmer, the flowers open.
grow flowers
He grows flowers as well as vegetables.
pick flowers
I'll pick some flowers to put on the table.
produce flowers
The plant will produce beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers.
pollinate flowers (=give a flower or plant pollen so that it can produce seeds)
Various insects pollinate the flowers.
be covered in flowers (=have flowers on every part)
The fields were covered in wild flowers.
a bunch of flowers
He gave me a lovely bunch of flowers.
a bouquet of flowers (=a large bunch of flowers that is given to someone)
The bride held a bouquet of flowers.
a vase of flowers
On the table was a vase of flowers.
the flowers are in bloom (also the flowers are out) (=they appear on a plant)
At this time of the year, the flowers are in bloom.
be a mass of flowers (=have a lot of flowers growing on every part)
In spring, the valley is a mass of flowers.
a flower shop
He used to run a flower shop.
a flower arrangement
She produced dried flower arrangements for sale.
flower arranging
I learnt flower arranging from my mother.
a flower pot
The terrace was covered in flower pots.
a flower bed (=an area for growing flowers in a garden)
The flower beds had been weeded.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲