[syn: carnation, clove pink, gillyflower, Dianthus caryophyllus]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gillyflower \Gil"ly*flow`er\, n. [OE. gilofre, gilofer, clove,
OF. girofre, girofle, F. girofle: cf. F. girofl['e]e
gillyflower, fr. girofle, Gr. ? clove tree; ? nut + ? leaf,
akin to E. foliage. Cf. Caryophyllus, July-flower.]
[Written also gilliflower.] (Bot.)
1. A name given by old writers to the clove pink (Dianthus
Caryophyllus) but now to the common stock (Matthiola
incana), a cruciferous plant with showy and fragrant
blossoms, usually purplish, but often pink or white.
[1913 Webster]
2. A kind of apple, of a roundish conical shape, purplish red
color, and having a large core.
Clove gillyflower, the clove pink.
Marsh gillyflower, the ragged robin (Lychnis
Flos-cuculi).
Queen's gillyflower, or Winter gillyflower, damewort.
Sea gillyflower, the thrift (Armeria vulgaris).
Wall gillyflower, the wallflower (Cheiranthus Cheiri).
Water gillyflower, the water violet.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
gillyflower
n 1: any of several Old World plants cultivated for their
brightly colored flowers [syn: stock, gillyflower]
2: Eurasian plant with pink to purple-red spice-scented usually
double flowers; widely cultivated in many varieties and many
colors [syn: carnation, clove pink, gillyflower,
Dianthus caryophyllus]