flowery
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L336852 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈflaʊəɹi/ / /ˈflaʊɹi/
adj
Etymology: From Middle English floury, equivalent to flower + -y (adjectival suffix). Piecewise doublet of floury.
- Pertaining to or characteristic of flowers.
““Sir you are mistaken—I am not——.” But before he could say ‘a girl,’ this ancient period-strumpet of a bedizened man (upon a pattern drawn from a time of swords and silk, when men were in their floweriest scent—savagely tattooed with braid—intoxicated with their own snuff—forever on tiptoe—disgusted with the mannish—wooing Woman after the fashion of women) burst in and silenced him, […]”
- Decorated with or abundant in flowers.
“At last she reached a flowery knoll, at whose feet ran a little burn, shaded with woodbine and wild roses; and there she sat down, burying her face in her hands.”
- Of a speech or piece of writing: overly complicated or elaborate; with grandiloquent expressions; marked by rhetorical elegance.
“My accusers, then, as I maintain, have said little or nothing that is true, but from me you shall hear the whole truth; not, I can assure you, gentlemen, in flowery language like theirs, decked out with fine words and phrases; […]”
- Melodramatic, overexaggerated.
“Although flowery actions are used in the plays of the 1890s, waving arms, wringing hands, and pleading with outstretched arms would be unsuitable in plays about modern life.”
““Miss, it would be my great pleasure to escort you and your uncle to supper this evening.” Sasha stifled her desire to roll her eyes at his flowery actions, but the fact that he omitted inviting Jim irritated her.”
noun
Etymology: Etymology tree English flower Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzijos Latin -āriusnom. Latin -ārius Old French -ier Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Old French -ie Old French -eriebor. Middle English -erie English -ery English flowery From flower + -ery.
- A place where flowers grow.
“Poppies make very showy floweries and should be planted lightly in the spots where they are intended to be grown.”
“I have visited the rose gardens of California and basked in the artificial floweries of Luther Burbank, but back in my heart’s country, ’twixt the cave and the thorn tree, one may pluck a tulip or an old-fashioned “Jack in the Pulpit” scattering incense and pollen of the fairest flower of all the springtime.”