Flow"er (?), n. [OE. flour, OF.
flour, flur, flor, F. fleur, fr. L.
flos, floris. Cf. Blossom, Effloresce,
Floret, Florid, Florin, Flour,
Flourish.] 1. In the popular sense, the
bloom or blossom of a plant; the showy portion, usually of a
different color, shape, and texture from the foliage.
2. (Bot.) That part of a plant
destined to produce seed, and hence including one or both of the
sexual organs; an organ or combination of the organs of reproduction,
whether inclosed by a circle of foliar parts or not. A complete
flower consists of two essential parts, the stamens and the
pistil, and two floral envelopes, the corolla and callyx. In mosses
the flowers consist of a few special leaves surrounding or subtending
organs called archegonia. See Blossom, and
Corolla.
&fist; If we examine a common flower, such for instance as a
geranium, we shall find that it consists of: First, an outer envelope
or calyx, sometimes tubular, sometimes consisting of separate
leaves called sepals; secondly, an inner envelope or
corolla, which is generally more or less colored, and which,
like the calyx, is sometimes tubular, sometimes composed of separate
leaves called petals; thirdly, one or more stamens,
consisting of a stalk or filament and a head or anther,
in which the pollen is produced; and fourthly, a
pistil, which is situated in the center of the flower, and
consists generally of three principal parts; one or more compartments
at the base, each containing one or more seeds; the stalk or
style; and the stigma, which in many familiar instances
forms a small head, at the top of the style or ovary, and to which
the pollen must find its way in order to fertilize the flower.
Sir J. Lubbock.
3. The fairest, freshest, and choicest part
of anything; as, the flower of an army, or of a family; the
state or time of freshness and bloom; as, the flower of life,
that is, youth.
The choice and flower of all things profitable
the Psalms do more briefly contain.
Hooker.
The flower of the chivalry of all
Spain.
Southey.
A simple maiden in her flower
Is worth a hundred coats of arms.
Tennyson.
4. Grain pulverized; meal; flour.
[Obs.]
The flowers of grains, mixed with water, will
make a sort of glue.
Arbuthnot.
5. pl. (Old Chem.) A substance
in the form of a powder, especially when condensed from sublimation;
as, the flowers of sulphur.
6. A figure of speech; an ornament of
style.
7. pl. (Print.) Ornamental type
used chiefly for borders around pages, cards, etc. W.
Savage.
8. pl. Menstrual discharges.
Lev. xv. 24.
Animal flower (Zoöl.) See under
Animal. -- Cut flowers, flowers cut
from the stalk, as for making a bouquet. -- Flower
bed, a plat in a garden for the cultivation of
flowers. -- Flower beetle (Zoöl.),
any beetle which feeds upon flowers, esp. any one of numerous
small species of the genus Meligethes, family
Nitidulidæ, some of which are injurious to crops. -
- Flower bird (Zoöl.), an
Australian bird of the genus Anthornis, allied to the honey
eaters. -- Flower bud, an unopened
flower. -- Flower clock, an assemblage of
flowers which open and close at different hours of the day, thus
indicating the time. -- Flower head
(Bot.), a compound flower in which all the florets are
sessile on their receptacle, as in the case of the daisy. --
Flower pecker (Zoöl.), one of a
family (Dicæidæ) of small Indian and Australian
birds. They resemble humming birds in habits. -- Flower
piece. (a) A table ornament made of cut
flowers. (b) (Fine Arts) A picture of
flowers. -- Flower stalk (Bot.),
the peduncle of a plant, or the stem that supports the flower or
fructification.
Flow"er (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flowered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flowering.] [From the noun. Cf. Flourish.]
1. To blossom; to bloom; to expand the petals,
as a plant; to produce flowers; as, this plant flowers in
June.
2. To come into the finest or fairest
condition.
Their lusty and flowering age.
Robynson (More's Utopia).
When flowered my youthful spring.
Spenser.
3. To froth; to ferment gently, as new
beer.
That beer did flower a little.
Bacon.
4. To come off as flowers by
sublimation. [Obs.]
Observations which have flowered
off.
Milton.
Flow"er, v. t. To embellish with
flowers; to adorn with imitated flowers; as, flowered
silk.
