bellflower

noun

bell·​flow·​er ˈbel-ˌflau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce bellflower (audio)
: any of a genus (Campanula of the family Campanulaceae, the bellflower family) of widely cultivated herbs having alternate leaves and usually showy bell-shaped flowers

Examples of bellflower in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The idyllic courtyard blooms year round, featuring hydrangeas in May and June, bellflowers in August and September, and even winter tropical plants in January. Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2024 For example, creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides), with attractive spikes of purple bell-like blooms, is shade-tolerant and reseeds freely. Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 29 July 2023 In sunnier locales are Parry’s bellflower, yarrow, lupine and beardlip penstemon. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 6 July 2023 The powder-blue piece — a combination table, chair, and lamp with a glass shade that looks like a bellflower — feels like it’s been plucked from a dream. Diana Budds, Curbed, 4 Mar. 2022 Chris HackettGetty Images Part of the bellflower family, this long-living perennial is easy to please. Terri Robertson, Country Living, 27 June 2022 Examples are amur maple, burning bush, lily-of-the-valley, orange daylily, creeping bellflower and various barberry. Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5 May 2022 Her design features the nodding petals of Campanula divaricata (bellflower), the white puffs of Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey tea), and the purple stars of Aquilegia vulgaris (columbine). Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2021 Siberian bellflower in late spring, magnolia and dogwood in summer. New York Times, 18 Nov. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bellflower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bellflower was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near bellflower

Bellevue

bellflower

Bellflower

Cite this Entry

“Bellflower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bellflower. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bellflower

noun
bell·​flow·​er ˈbel-ˌflau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce bellflower (audio)
: any of various herbs that are often grown for their showy flowers shaped like bells

Geographical Definition

Bellflower

geographical name

Bell·​flow·​er ˈbel-ˌflau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce Bellflower (audio)
city in southwestern California east of Los Angeles population 76,616

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