Word Study
Flower-de-luce
CIDE DICTIONARY
Flower-de-luce, n. [Corrupted fr. fleur-de-lis.].
A genus of perennial herbs (Iris ) with swordlike leaves and large three-petaled flowers often of very gay colors, but probably white in the plant first chosen for the royal French emblem. [1913 Webster]
" There are nearly one hundred species, natives of the north temperate zone. Some of the best known are Iris Germanica , I. Florentina , I. Persica , I. sambucina , and the American I. versicolor , I. prismatica , etc." [1913 Webster]
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