Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "gillyflower" [gil•ly•flow•er]

  • The carnation or a similar plant of the genus Dianthus. (noun)
  • Any of several plants, such as the wallflower, that have fragrant flowers. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "gillyflower" in a sentence
  • "Add lesser quantities (the recipe says a denier) of the following spices: galingale, cloves (no more than 1/2 teaspoon, I suggest), gillyflower (if you can get it, which I have never succeeded in doing), long pepper (Asian groceries have this, sometimes), nutmeg, cardamon, mace."
  • "“Not of course at all!” replied Francie, who used a particularly expensive essence of gillyflower herself."
  • "He knew gillyflower tea from the Temple, where it occasionally appeared with the morning bread, and it did seem to wake him up when he felt a little foggy or sleepy."