phlox

noun

ˈfläks 

plural phlox or phloxes

: any of a genus (Phlox of the family Polemoniaceae, the phlox family) of American annual or perennial herbs that have usually pink, purplish, white, or variegated flowers, a salverform corolla with the stamens on its tube, and a 3-valved capsular fruit

Illustration of phlox

Examples of phlox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The pink moon gets its name from moss pink, sometimes called wild ground phlox, one of the most prevalent blooms in the early spring. Unable to view our graphics? —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025

Moss Pink Also known as creeping phlox (Phlox subulata), this ground cover forms lush mats of flowers and foliage and looks pretty spilling over a low wall or rock ledge. —Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2025

Named after the pink phlox flowers that bloom in spring in parts of North America rather than for the moon's color, April’s pink moon reached its full phase at 8:23 p.m. EDT, aligning almost perfectly with moonrise in parts of North America. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025

The phenomenon gets its name from the bloom of the creeping phlox flowers that occurs in early spring, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin Phlox, a genus name, going back to Latin phlog-, phlox "a flame-colored flower," borrowed from Greek phlóx, genitive phlogós "flame, flash (of lightning), blaze, radiance, inflammation, a flame-colored flower," o-grade derivative from the stem of phlégein "to burn up, blaze, gleam" — more at phlegm

Note: The genus name Phlox was introduced by linnaeus (Species plantarum, 1753), who adapted it in Hortus Cliffortianus (Amsterdam, 1737, p. 63) from Theophrastus's name for a plant, identified as the wallflower (Erysimum cheiri) by Liddell and Scott's dictionary and Arthur Hort's translation of Historia plantarum (Theophrastus: Enquiry into Plants, vol. 2 [London/New York, 1916], p. 44).

First Known Use

circa 1706, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for phlox

• balks
• blocks
• blocs
• box
• chalks
• chocks
• clocks
• cocks
• cox
• crocks
• docks
• docs

Kids Definition

phlox

noun

ˈfläks 

plural phlox or phloxes

: any of a genus of American herbs widely grown for their showy clusters of usually white, pink, or purplish flowers