cyclamen

noun

Etymology: Borrowing from New Latin cyclamen, from Latin cyclamīnos.

1. Any of various primulaceous flowering plants, of the genus Cyclamen, widely cultivated as a houseplant, having decorative leaves and solitary flowers.

   “An expectant mother would avoid cyclamen, stepping over it being an ominous sign.”

   “The root of the cyclamen, sowbread, was used in ancient times as an ingredient in love potions.”

2. A purplish-red colour.

   “Sepia Delft tiles surrounded the fireplace, their crudely drawn Biblical scenes in faded cyclamen blending with the pinkish pine, while above them, instead of a mantelshelf, there was an archway high enough to form a balcony with slender balusters and a tapestry-hung wall behind.”