Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
A cornflower, a plant that grows in grain fields, Centaurea cyanus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Any of various blowflies of the genus Calliphora that have an iridescent metallic-blue body and make a loud buzzing noise when flying.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A blue ant, Diamma bicolor, a parasitic wasp native to Australia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus Graphium, also called triangles, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A police officer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, Ireland, UK, derogatory, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A bluestocking.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A marine jellyfish of the genus Physalia, which includes Physalia physalis, the Portuguese man-of-war, and Physalia utriculus, the Pacific man-of-war; a man-of-war.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
blowfly with iridescent blue body; makes a loud buzzing noise in flight
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Calliphora vicina
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: blowfly, blow fly
noun
an annual Eurasian plant cultivated in North America having showy heads of blue or purple or pink or white flowers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: cornflower, bachelor's button, Centaurea cyanus
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: flower
History
From Middle English blewbothel, from blew (“blue”) + bothel (“flower in the Asteraceae family”). In sense 2, a shortening of bluebottle fly. The fly was so named because it resembles the bluebottle flower in colour. The other transferred senses likewise have reference to the colour of the respective referents.
From blue + bottle, in reference to the creature's bottle-like bladder.
Across languages
11 source translations are retained for this English entry.
