scarlet pimpernel
noun
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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
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
The long-sleeve dress is made from a silk fabric with a dull luster finish, and additionally includes delicate gold and silver embroidery of flowers like daisy chains, forget-me-nots, celandine, and scarlet pimpernel, which are meant to represent the king and queen consort's love of nature.
—Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 May 2023
Harper's Bazaar noted that a variety of gold and silver flowers (including daisies, forget-me-nots, celandine and scarlet pimpernel) represented the king and queen's love for all things nature.
—Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 7 May 2023
Embellishments include floral designs featuring strings of wildflowers such as forget-me-notes, daisy chains and celandine along with scarlet pimpernel, meant to indicate the royal couple's love of the British countryside and nature.
—Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 6 May 2023
The fruit of the scarlet pimpernel plant, shown here, opens with a neatly hinged lid.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
Dictionary Entries Near scarlet pimpernel
Cite this Entry
“Scarlet pimpernel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarlet%20pimpernel. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
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