passionflower
[ pash-uh n-flou-er ]
/ ˈpæʃ ənˌflaʊ ər /
noun
any chiefly American climbing vine or shrub of the genus Passiflora, having showy flowers and a pulpy berry or fruit that in some species is edible.
Origin of passionflower
1605–15; translation of New Latin
flōs passiōnis flower of the Passion; so named because the parts of the flower were imagined as symbolic of the objects and events of Christ's Passion
Words nearby passionflower
passion sunday,
passion week,
passional,
passionary,
passionate,
passionflower,
passionfruit,
passionist,
passionless,
passiontide,
passivate
Example sentences from the Web for passionflower
She has trailed the passionflower wi' her ain hands until it is nourishing.
Willy Reilly |William Carleton
British Dictionary definitions for passionflower
passionflower
/ (ˈpæʃənˌflaʊə) /
noun
any passifloraceous plant of the tropical American genus Passiflora, cultivated for their red, yellow, greenish, or purple showy flowers: some species have edible fruit
See also granadilla
Word Origin for passionflower
C17: so called from the alleged resemblance between parts of the flower and the instruments of Christ's crucifixion