I. flow ‧ er 1 S2 W2 /ˈflaʊə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ flowered , ↑ flowery , flowering; verb : ↑ flower , ↑ deflower ; noun : ↑ flower , ↑ flowering ]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: flor , flour , from Latin flos ]
1 . a coloured or white part that a plant or tree produces before fruit or seeds ⇨ floral :
a lovely rose bush with delicate pink flowers
fields full of beautiful wild flowers
2 .
a small plant that produces beautiful flowers:
He wasn’t interested in growing flowers in the garden.
She bent down and picked a flower.
bunch/bouquet of flowers
The first night we met he gave me a bunch of flowers.
a beautiful flower arrangement (=flowers arranged together in an attractive way)
3 . in flower a plant or tree that is in flower has flowers on it SYN in bloom :
It was May, and the apple trees were all in flower.
Roses start to come into flower in June.
4 . the flower of something literary the best part of something:
young men killed in the flower of their youth
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + flower
▪ lovely/pretty/beautiful
They admired the lovely flowers in the garden.
▪ delicate
The plant produces delicate purple flowers.
▪ rare
A number of rare flowers grow in these woods.
▪ dead
There were dead flowers in a vase of green water.
▪ artificial
a basket of artificial flowers
▪ a wild flower
The meadows were covered with wild flowers.
▪ a garden flower
Dahlias have become one of the best loved garden flowers.
▪ an exotic flower
We grow exotic flowers from all over the world.
▪ a spring/summer/autumn/winter flower
The mountainsides were blanketed with spring flowers.
▪ cut flowers
Make cut flowers last longer by changing the water in the vase.
▪ dried flowers
She had brightened up the room with a vase of dried flowers.
▪ a silk flower
She wore a huge silk flower in her hair.
■ verbs
▪ flowers grow
Flowers were growing along the side of the road.
▪ flowers bloom (=start appearing on a plant)
Spring flowers bloomed in the meadows.
▪ flowers open
As the weather gets warmer, the flowers open.
▪ grow flowers
He grows flowers as well as vegetables.
▪ pick flowers
I'll pick some flowers to put on the table.
▪ produce flowers
The plant will produce beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers.
▪ pollinate flowers (=give a flower or plant pollen so that it can produce seeds)
Various insects pollinate the flowers.
▪ be covered in flowers (=have flowers on every part)
The fields were covered in wild flowers.
■ phrases
▪ a bunch of flowers
He gave me a lovely bunch of flowers.
▪ a bouquet of flowers (=a large bunch of flowers that is given to someone)
The bride held a bouquet of flowers.
▪ a vase of flowers
On the table was a vase of flowers.
▪ the flowers are in bloom ( also the flowers are out ) (=they appear on a plant)
At this time of the year, the flowers are in bloom.
▪ be a mass of flowers (=have a lot of flowers growing on every part)
In spring, the valley is a mass of flowers.
■ flower + NOUN
▪ a flower shop
He used to run a flower shop.
▪ a flower arrangement
She produced dried flower arrangements for sale.
▪ flower arranging
I learnt flower arranging from my mother.
▪ a flower pot
The terrace was covered in flower pots.
▪ a flower bed (=an area for growing flowers in a garden)
The flower beds had been weeded.
II. flower 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ flowered , ↑ flowery , flowering; verb : ↑ flower , ↑ deflower ; noun : ↑ flower , ↑ flowering ]
1 . to produce flowers:
Bulbs that you plant in the autumn should flower the following spring.
2 . literary to develop in a very successful way SYN flourish :
the economic and social conditions that will allow democracy to flower