fritillaria

noun

frit·​il·​lar·​ia ˌfri-tə-ˈler-ē-ə How to pronounce fritillaria (audio)
-ˈla-rē-
: any of a widespread genus (Fritillaria) of bulbous herbs of the lily family with variably colored and often mottled or checkered flowers

Illustration of fritillaria

Illustration of fritillaria

Examples of fritillaria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Plant fritillaria bulbs in the fall for blooms the following year. Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 26 July 2023 Large growing fritillaria are also great for adding fragrance to the garden. Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2022 Chezar used pale pink peonies, coral tulips and lilacs—and then add texture and height with sprays of green hellebore and purple fritillaria meleagris. ELLE Decor, 3 May 2016 Branch out a bit, Stoven advises, and try brodiaea, hyacinths, fritillaria, dwarf iris or other bulbs. Kym Pokorny, OregonLive.com, 18 Oct. 2017 Chezar opted for tulips, sweet peas and the delightfully checkered fritillaria meleagris in shades of purple. ELLE Decor, 3 May 2016

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin fritillus dice cup; from the markings of the petals

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fritillaria was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near fritillaria

Cite this Entry

“Fritillaria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fritillaria. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!