bachelor's button

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Bachelor's button \Bach"e*lor's but"ton\, (Bot.) A plant with flowers shaped like buttons; especially, several species of Ranunculus, and the cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) and globe amaranth (Gomphrena). [1913 Webster]

Note: Bachelor's buttons, a name given to several flowers "from their similitude to the jagged cloathe buttons, anciently worne in this kingdom," according to Johnson's --Gerarde, p. 472 (1633); but by other writers ascribed to "a habit of country fellows to carry them in their pockets to divine their success with their sweethearts." --Dr. Prior. [1913 Webster]

Bluebottle \Blue"bot`tle\, blue-bottle \blue-bottle\, n.

1.(Bot.) an annual Eurasian plant (Centaurea cyanus) which grows in grain fields; -- called also bachelor's button. It receives its name from its blue bottle-shaped flowers. Varieties cultivated in North America have showy heads of blue or purple or pink or white flowers

Syn: cornflower, bachelor's button. [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]

2.(Zool.) A large and troublesome species of blowfly (Musca vomitoria). Its body is steel blue. [1913 Webster]

WordNet 3.0

bachelor's button n 1: an annual Eurasian plant cultivated in North America having showy heads of blue or purple or pink or white flowers [syn: cornflower, bachelor's button, bluebottle, Centaurea cyanus] 2: tropical American herb having rose to red or purple flowers that can be dried without losing color [syn: globe amaranth, bachelor's button, Gomphrena globosa]