cinquefoil
NounSynonyms:
five-finger
Open English WordNet
Noun (2)
- any of a numerous plants grown for their five-petaled flowers; abundant in temperate regions; alleged to have medicinal propertiesSynonyms: five-fingerType of shrub, bushKinds silverweed, goose-tansyMember of Potentilla, genus Potentilla
- an ornamental carving consisting of five arcs arranged in a circleType of carving
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Cinque′foil′ noun
Origin: Cinque five + foil, F. feuille leaf. See Foil.
1. Botany The name of several different species of the genus Potentilla; — also called five-finger, because of the resemblance of its leaves to the fingers of the hand.
2. Architecture An ornamental foliation having five points or cups, used in windows, panels, etc. Joseph Gwilt
Marsh cinquefoil, the Potentilla palustris, a plant with purple flowers which grows in fresh-water marshes.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54