ranunculus

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

ra·nun·cu·lus

(rə-nŭng′kyə-ləs)

n. pl. ra·nun·cu·lus·es or ra·nun·cu·li (-lī′)

Any of numerous plants of the genus Ranunculus, having yellow or white usually five-petaled flowers, and including the buttercups and the crowfoots.

[New Latin Rānunculus, genus name, from Latin rānunculus, a kind of medicinal plant, diminutive of rāna, frog, perhaps of imitative origin.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ranunculus

(rəˈnʌŋkjʊləs)

n, pl -luses or -li (-ˌlaɪ)

(Plants) any ranunculaceous plant of the genus Ranunculus, having finely divided leaves and typically yellow five-petalled flowers. The genus includes buttercup, crowfoot, spearwort, and lesser celandine

[C16: from Latin: tadpole, from rāna a frog]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun 1. [画像:ranunculus - annual, biennial or perennial herbs: buttercup]Ranunculus - annual, biennial or perennial herbs: buttercup; crowfoot

genus Ranunculus

magnoliid dicot genus - genus of dicotyledonous flowering plants regarded as among the most primitive of extant angiosperms

buttercup family, crowfoot family, family Ranunculaceae, Ranunculaceae - a family of Ranunculaceae

buttercup, butterflower, butter-flower, crowfoot, goldcup, kingcup - any of various plants of the genus Ranunculus

Ranunculus aquatilis, water buttercup, water crowfoot - plant of ponds and slow streams having submerged and floating leaves and white flowers; Europe and North America

lesser celandine, pilewort, Ranunculus ficaria - perennial herb native to Europe but naturalized elsewhere having heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers resembling buttercups; its tuberous roots have been used as a poultice to relieve piles

lesser spearwort, Ranunculus flammula - semiaquatic Eurasian perennial crowfoot with leaves shaped like spears; naturalized in New Zealand

Ranunculus glaberrimus, sagebrush buttercup - small early-flowering buttercup with shiny yellow flowers of western North America

greater spearwort, Ranunculus lingua - semiaquatic European crowfoot with leaves shaped like spears

Translations

ranunculus

[rəˈnʌŋkjʊləs] N (ranunculuses, ranunculi (pl)) [rəˈnʌŋkjʊlaɪ] → ranúnculo m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ranunculus

n (= garden flower) → Ranunkel f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

And the Ranunculus shone brightly, and looked again at Gerda.

There, that is my little story," said the Ranunculus.

View in context

| You can plant summer flowering bulbs, corms and tubers such as lilies, cannas, ranunculus and gladioli into pots or into the ground.

Plant, prune and protect this spring

Or try Ranunculus Aquatilis (Common Water Crowfoot) for pretty white buttercup-shaped flowers popping up above lobed floating leaves.

ASK DAVID; OUR EXPERT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

| YOU can plant summer flowering bulbs, corms and tubers such as lilies, cannas, ranunculus and gladioli, left, into pots or directly into the ground.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK

Javed Masood, custodian, says, " We also have 46 varieties of flowers from Holland, including daffodils, hyacinth and ranunculus." As the spring sets in and flowers are in full bloom, the state government is organising a first- of- its- kind 15- day fest to showcase the treasures of Asia's largest tulip garden.

TULIP BULBS LIGHT UPTROUBLED VALLEY

"We were inspired by our recent travels, referencing sunset shades and ranunculus flowers from Bahrain, as well as hard textures and structured outlines from New York City," added Shaikha Haya.

New York showcase for Noon By Noor

William Wordsworth's favourite flower wasn't the daffodil - it was the humble lesser celandine, Ranunculus ficaria.

GOLDEN WONDERS; For one of the cheeriest splashes of colour in the spring garden, you can't beat William Wordsworth's one true love, the brilliant celandine

It was, in fact, the humble lesser celandine, Ranunculus ficaria.

Buttercups build me up; For one of the cheeriest splashes of colour in the spring garden, you can't beat Wordsworth's one true love, the brilliant celandine

Ranunculus ficaria is an invasive species in riparian areas of temperate deciduous forests in the northeastern United States.

Leaf litter depth has only a small influence on Ranunculus ficaria (Ranunculaceae) biomass and reproduction