Dryas
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Either of two climatic stages of the late glacial period in Northern Europe in which plants of the genus Dryas were abundant uncountable
- 2 Any of several plants of the genus Dryas; the mountain avens.
- 3 One of two periods of cold and increased glaciation thousands of years before the present (Younger Dryas and Older Dryas).
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"Dryas was almost tempted by this display of friendship and these splendid promises to give his assent to the marriage; but on the other hand he reflected that the girl seemed destined for a higher connection, and he feared that he might find himself in an irremediable difficulty should the maiden ever be identified and her parents learn that he had married her to a man of such low condition, merely for the sake of some presents. For this reason he refused his assent and declined all the gifts, at the same time entreating Dorcon not to be offended."
Etymology
Named after the wildflower Dryas octopetala, fossils of which dated to approximately the Younger Dryas period are common in parts of Europe.
Borrowed from translingual Dryas for the plants, from both Latin Dryas and Ancient Greek Δρῠᾰ́ς (Drŭắs), derived from δρῦς (drûs, “tree, oak”). The second definition comes from the large quantity of pollen from the plant that is found in ice cores dating from these periods.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.