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(), 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. 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 leave 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. スポンサード リンク
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