scarlet pimpernel

noun

1
: a European pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis synonym Lysimachia arvensis) naturalized in North America and having scarlet, white, or purplish flowers that close in cloudy weather
2
[Scarlet Pimpernel, assumed name of the hero of The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905), novel by Baroness Orczy] : a person who rescues others from mortal danger by smuggling them across a border

Did you know?

In 1903, Hungarian-born playwright and novelist Baroness Emmuska Orczy introduced the world to Sir Percy Blakeney, ostensibly a foppish English aristocrat, but secretly a swashbuckling hero known as "The Scarlet Pimpernel" who rescued aristocrats from certain death in the French Revolution by smuggling them to England. In The Scarlet Pimpernel, Blakeney's character used a drawing of a small, red, star-shaped flower known in England as a "scarlet pimpernel" as a signature of his involvement in an escape. The popularity of Orczy's novel prompted English speakers to start using "scarlet pimpernel" for any daring hero who smuggled those in danger to a safe haven in another country. Today it is also sometimes used more broadly for a person who is daring, mysterious, or evasive.

Examples of scarlet pimpernel 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.
Daisy chains, forget-me-nots, celandine and scarlet pimpernel are all featured. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023 Her go-to designer incorporated flowers including daisy chains, forget-me-nots, celandine and scarlet pimpernel to signify Camilla's love of nature, gardening and the British countryside. Monique Jessen, Peoplemag, 13 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarlet pimpernel was in 1835

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Cite this Entry

“Scarlet pimpernel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarlet%20pimpernel. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

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