Cyclamen
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 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."
- 2 Mediterranean plant widely cultivated as a houseplant for its showy dark green leaves splotched with silver and nodding white or pink to reddish flowers with reflexed petals wordnet
- 3 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."
Example
More examples"An expectant mother would avoid cyclamen, stepping over it being an ominous sign."
Etymology
Borrowing from New Latin cyclamen, from Latin cyclamīnos.
Related phrases
More for "cyclamen"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.