Illustration of dandelion
dandelion
noun
dan·de·li·on
ˈdan-də-ˌlī-ən 
-dē-
: any of a genus (Taraxacum) of yellow-flowered composite herbs with milky sap
especially
: one (T. officinale) sometimes grown as a potherb and nearly cosmopolitan as a weed
Examples of dandelion in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These include beverages made from chicory root, figs and barley, dandelion root, mushroom elixirs, cacao, rooibos and yerba maté.
—
Kristen Rogers, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Pluck dandelion flowers for jelly and add the small, nutritious leaves to salads and omelets.
—Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024
Some examples of alteratives include nettle, dandelion leaf and root, burdock root, violet, calendula, and red clover.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024
The crystal and sequin design featured a dandelion design and bugle bead embroidery,
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Drinks include ale, milk punch, spiced wines like dandelion wine, cocktails, teas like mint tea, wheatgrass and grapefruit juice.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 26 Jan. 2024
But as Bornstein says, yards are places where things grow and change, even on turf lawns when clover and dandelions bloom and leaves fall and the worms wriggle out of the ground after a heavy rain.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024
My dad would show my brother and I how to paint our skin with the dandelions that bloomed everywhere, and how a certain type of weed that popped up on our lawn made purple buds whose bottoms were sweet to the taste.
—Hazlitt, 17 Jan. 2024
Here, the room erupted with wildflowers — poppies dappled with dew, dandelions unfurling yellow.
—Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2023
Kristen Rogers, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Pluck dandelion flowers for jelly and add the small, nutritious leaves to salads and omelets.
—Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024
Some examples of alteratives include nettle, dandelion leaf and root, burdock root, violet, calendula, and red clover.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024
The crystal and sequin design featured a dandelion design and bugle bead embroidery,
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Drinks include ale, milk punch, spiced wines like dandelion wine, cocktails, teas like mint tea, wheatgrass and grapefruit juice.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 26 Jan. 2024
But as Bornstein says, yards are places where things grow and change, even on turf lawns when clover and dandelions bloom and leaves fall and the worms wriggle out of the ground after a heavy rain.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024
My dad would show my brother and I how to paint our skin with the dandelions that bloomed everywhere, and how a certain type of weed that popped up on our lawn made purple buds whose bottoms were sweet to the taste.
—Hazlitt, 17 Jan. 2024
Here, the room erupted with wildflowers — poppies dappled with dew, dandelions unfurling yellow.
—Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dandelion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English dendelyoun, from Anglo-French dent de lion, literally, lion's tooth
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of dandelion was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near dandelion
Cite this Entry
“Dandelion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dandelion. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
dandelion
noun
dan·de·li·on
ˈdan-də-ˌlī-ən
: any of a genus of yellow-flowered weedy plants related to the daisies
especially
: one with long deeply toothed stemless leaves sometimes grown as a potherb
Etymology
from early French dent de lion "dandelion," literally, "tooth of the lion"; dent derived from Latin dens "tooth" — related to dental
Word Origin
Sometimes plants are named for their resemblance, real or imagined, to animal shapes. The dandelion might not be a plant we would be quick to connect with a lion's teeth. And yet, in early French this common plant with its yellow flowers was called dent de lion, meaning literally "tooth of the lion." The dandelion leaves have deep notches along the edges. These make the leaves appear to have a row of sharp triangular teeth. In time the French name came to be spelled and pronounced as one word when it came into English, giving us dandelion today.
Medical Definition
dandelion
noun
dan·de·li·on
ˈdan-dᵊl-ˌī-ən
: any plant of the genus Taraxacum
especially
: an herb (T. officinale) sometimes grown as a potherb and nearly cosmopolitan as a weed
More from Merriam-Webster on dandelion
Nglish: Translation of dandelion for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dandelion
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