flower

flower — noun

1. the colourful or white structure on a plant that emerges from a bud and is made

1.nounA1
Definition

the colourful or white structure on a plant that emerges from a bud and is made up of petals around a centre; most flowers produce seeds after they open and many are known for their scent.

Example

Eleni picked a bright red flower from the bush in her garden.

countable noun: a flower; also used as a cut stem

The cherry tree was covered in small white flowers after the spring rain.

Common collocations
  • cut flower
  • wild flower
  • fresh flower
  • flower petal
  • flower bud
  • flower stem
Synonyms
  • bloom

    Emphasises the flower at its fully open stage; more poetic or horticultural in tone.

  • blossom

    Used especially for flowers on fruit trees (cherry, apple, plum); often collective ('cherry blossoms').

  • bud

    The unopened stage of a flower, before the petals expand.

Grammar Patterns

a/the + flower

flower + noun (compound)

plural: flowers

Usage Note

Countable noun. Often used with 'on' or 'of' to indicate which plant the flower belongs to. As a mass noun ('covered in flower') it is rare outside literary or horticultural contexts.

Common Mistakes

I need to water my flower.' (when meaning a potted plant).
I need to water my flowering plant.
'a flower' usually means the coloured bloom or a cut stem, not the whole potted plant with roots and leaves.

2. a plant that people grow in gardens or pots mainly because they like the look of

2.nounA1
Definition

a plant that people grow in gardens or pots mainly because they like the look of the blooms it produces.

Example

Soraya planted bright yellow flowers in pots along her front steps.

flower as a type of garden plant

The garden centre sells both flowers and vegetable seedlings this season.

Common collocations
  • grow flowers
  • plant flowers
  • water flowers
  • flower bed
  • flower pot
  • flower shop
  • cut flowers
Synonyms
  • plant

    A broader category that includes flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and trees.

  • bloom

    Can informally refer to a flowering plant ('she grew beautiful blooms'), but less common for the whole plant.

Grammar Patterns

grow/plant + flowers

a bed of + flowers

adjective + flowers

Usage Note

Countable noun. In this sense the word refers to the whole plant, not just the bloom. Context usually clarifies — 'water the flowers' means water the whole plant; 'pick a flower' means take only the bloom.

Common Mistakes

I bought three flowers from the florist for my vase.' (ambiguous).
I bought three cut flowers from the florist for my vase.
adds 'cut' when you mean stems without roots, to avoid confusion with potted plants.

3. the time when a person, movement, or culture is at its most successful, energeti

3.nounB2
Definition

the time when a person, movement, or culture is at its most successful, energetic, or finest state.

Example

The dancer was in the flower of her youth when she won the national title.

fixed phrase: in the flower of [possessive] youth

Many masterpieces were produced during the flower of the Renaissance in Italy.

Common collocations
  • in the flower of youth
  • flower of the Renaissance
  • flower of a generation
Synonyms
  • prime

    More common and less literary; works for careers, physical condition, and inanimate subjects.

  • peak

    Neutral, widely applicable to any high point; the most frequent alternative in everyday English.

  • heyday

    Refers to a past period of greatest popularity or success, usually for a group or movement rather than an individual.

Antonyms
  • decline

    The period after the flower, when strength or success fades.

Grammar Patterns

in/at the flower of [possessive] + noun

Usage Note

Restricted to fixed phrases such as 'in the flower of one's youth' and 'the flower of something' (meaning the best members of a group). Cannot be used freely to mean any good period — 'the flower of the economy' sounds unnatural.

Idioms

the flower of something

idiom

The best or most excellent part of something.

These young athletes represent the flower of our nation's talent.

She was taken from us in the flower of her youth.

flower — verb

Word family

  • flowered
    adjectiveB1
  • flowering
    adjectiveB1
  • flowerless
    adjectiveC1
  • flowerpot
    nounA2
  • flowerbed
    nounB1
  • flower shop
    nounA1
  • wildflower
    nounB1
  • flowering
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words relate to the reproductive parts of a plant, but they refer to different stages or parts. 'Bloom' emphasises the flower at its fully open stage — you say 'the roses are in bloom' to mean they are at their showiest moment. 'Blossom' is reserved mainly for the flowers of fruit trees such as cherry, apple, and plum; it is rarely used for garden flowers like tulips or daisies. 'Bud' names the unopened stage before the petals expand — a bud is a flower that has not yet bloomed. 'Petal' refers to a single coloured leaf of the flower, not the whole structure. For everyday use, 'flower' is the broadest and safest choice: you can use it for any plant part at any stage, from bud to full bloom. In gardening contexts, 'bloom' is common: 'These perennials bloom in late summer.' In descriptions of fruit trees, 'blossom' is standard: 'The cherry blossoms drew crowds to the park.' To refer to the emerging stage, use 'bud': 'Tiny buds appeared on the branches after the rain.'

bloom ↗blossombud ↗petal

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • flower arrangement
  • flower garden
  • flower market
  • in the flower of
  • flower power

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'flower' entered English from Old French 'flor, flour' (blossom, bloom), which itself came from Latin 'flos, florem' (blossom, flower). The same Latin root produced 'flourish' and also 'flour' — because flour was originally called 'flower of wheat,' meaning the finest, best part. The figurative meaning 'best period' (as in 'the flower of youth') appeared in English by the 1500s, drawing on the idea of a plant at its most beautiful, full stage.