chicken-fighters

plural noun

variants or less commonly chicken-fights

: the flowers of several violets (as Viola cucullata) one petal of which is spurred

Word History

Etymology

so called from a children's game in which each of two participants tries to decapitate the other's flower by pulling on the stem of his or her own, one spurred petal (likened to a cock's spur) of which is interlocked with that of the adversary's flower

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