Illustration of dandelion
dandelion
noun
dan·de·li·on
ˈdan-də-ˌlī-ən 
-dē-
: any of a genus (Taraxacum) of yellow-flowered composite herbs with milky sap
especially
: one (T. officinale) sometimes grown as a potherb and nearly cosmopolitan as a weed
Examples of dandelion in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The bright filaments resemble the wispy structure of a dandelion, and studying their peculiar structure could help astronomers understand how the filaments formed in the first place.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
After a few more tries, Bronze — who will turn 2 later this month — gives up and shakes the dandelion pieces onto the ground.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
The charms are metallic versions of seeds including samara, clover and poppy, but inside the bag is a transparent acrylic drop containing an actual dandelion egret, designed to work like a talisman.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 10 Oct. 2024
Speech tends to drift out of her, as airy and capricious as dandelion fluff.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
After a few more tries, Bronze — who will turn 2 later this month — gives up and shakes the dandelion pieces onto the ground.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
The charms are metallic versions of seeds including samara, clover and poppy, but inside the bag is a transparent acrylic drop containing an actual dandelion egret, designed to work like a talisman.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 10 Oct. 2024
Speech tends to drift out of her, as airy and capricious as dandelion fluff.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dandelion
Dictionary Entries Near dandelion
Cite this Entry
“Dandelion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dandelion. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dandelion
noun
dan·de·li·on
ˈdan-də-ˌlī-ən
: any of a genus of yellow-flowered weedy plants related to the daisies
especially
: one with long deeply toothed stemless leaves sometimes grown as a potherb
Etymology
from early French dent de lion "dandelion," literally, "tooth of the lion"; dent derived from Latin dens "tooth" — related to dental
Word Origin
Sometimes plants are named for their resemblance, real or imagined, to animal shapes. The dandelion might not be a plant we would be quick to connect with a lion's teeth. And yet, in early French this common plant with its yellow flowers was called dent de lion, meaning literally "tooth of the lion." The dandelion leaves have deep notches along the edges. These make the leaves appear to have a row of sharp triangular teeth. In time the French name came to be spelled and pronounced as one word when it came into English, giving us dandelion today.
Medical Definition
dandelion
noun
dan·de·li·on
ˈdan-dᵊl-ˌī-ən
: any plant of the genus Taraxacum
especially
: an herb (T. officinale) sometimes grown as a potherb and nearly cosmopolitan as a weed
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