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Pimpernel
//ˈpɪmpənɛl// noun
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A plant of the genus Pimpinella, especially burnet saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga). archaic
- 2 any of several plants of the genus Anagallis wordnet
- 3 Any of various plants of the genus Anagallis, having small red, white or purple flowers, especially the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis).
"Common Pimpernel has diverse weak square stalks lying on the ground, beset all along with two small and almost round leaves at every joint [...]."
- 4 European garden herb with purple-tinged flowers and leaves that are sometimes used for salads wordnet
- 5 Sanguisorba spp.; Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)
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- 6 Sanguisorba spp.; Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor).
- 7 A yellow pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima) Canada, US
- 8 Someone resembling the fictional Scarlet Pimpernel; a gallant dashing resourceful man given to remarkable feats of bravery and derring-do in liberating victims of tyranny and injustice. figuratively
"Lined up solidly with the Pimpernels and with the persecuted."
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman pimpernele et al., Middle French pimpinelle (“burnet saxifrage”) et al., from Medieval Latin pimpinella, pipinella, most likely from piper (“pepper”) because its fruit resembled peppercorns, although variants may suggest other derivations, bipinnella the bipennis (“two-winged”).
See also for "pimpernel"
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