carlina

noun

car·​li·​na

kärˈlīnə,

-ēnə

1

capitalized : a genus of herbs (family Compositae) of the Mediterranean region differing from the true thistles in having the outer involucral scales leaflike and spiny-toothed and the inner ones colored, raylike, and longer than the flowers

2

plural carlinae

-ī(ˌ)nē,

-ēˌnī

: a plant of the genus Carlina

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Medieval Latin, carline thistle, probably from Old Italian

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!