Flower | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Flow'er, n.

noun

n. [O. Eng. flour, floure, O. Fr. flour, flur, flor, N. Fr. fleur, Fr., Sp., Pg., & O. It. flor, N. It. fiore, from Lat. flos, floris.]

Sense 1. A circle of leaves or leaflets on a plant usually of some other color than green; a bloom or blossom; as, the dog-wood flower.

Sense 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 propagation, isolated by a circle of foliar parts. A complete flower consists of two essential parts, the stamens and the pistil, and two floral envelops, the corolla and calyx.

Sense 3. The fairest, freshest, and choicest part of any thing; as, the flower of an army, or of a family; the flower of life, that is, youth.

The choice and flower of all things profitable the Psalms do more briefly contain. Hooker.

Sense 4. Fine grain; flour. [Obs.]

Sense 5. A figure of speech; an ornament of style.

Sense 6. (pl.) (O. Chem.) Bodies in the form of a powder or mealy substance, especially when condensed from sublimation; as, the flowers of sulphur.

Sense 7. (pl.) (Print.) Ornamental types used chiefly for borders around pages, cards, &c. Savage.

Sense 8. (pl.) Menstrual discharges. Lev. xv. 24.

Flow'er, v. i.

verbintransitive

[imp. & p. p. FLOWERED; p. pr. & vb. n. FLOWERING.] [From the noun. Cf. FLOURISH.]

To blossom; to bloom; to expand the petals, as a plant; to produce flowers; as, a flowering plant.
To come into the finest or fairest condition.

When flowered my youthful spring. Spenser. 3. To froth; to ferment gently; to mantle, as new beer. [Obs.] The beer did flower a little. Bacon. 4. To come as cream from the surface. [Obs.] “Observations which have flowered off.” Milton.

Flow'er, v. t.

verbtransitive

To embellish with flowers; to adorn with imitated flowers.