snapdragon

[ snap-drag-uh n ]
/ ˈsnæpˌdræg ən /

noun

any plant belonging to the genus Antirrhinum, of the figwort family, especially A. majus, cultivated for its spikes of showy flowers, each having a corolla supposed to resemble the mouth of a dragon.

Origin of snapdragon

First recorded in 1565–75; snap + dragon

Example sentences from the Web for snapdragon

British Dictionary definitions for snapdragon

snapdragon
/ (ˈsnæpˌdræɡən) /

noun

any of several scrophulariaceous chiefly Old World plants of the genus Antirrhinum, esp A. majus, of the Mediterranean region, having spikes of showy white, yellow, pink, red, or purplish flowers Also called: antirrhinum

Word Origin for snapdragon

C16: so named because the flowers, which are claimed to look like a dragon's head, have a ``mouth'' which snaps shut if squeezed open and then released