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gay-feather

gay-feather

9.9
A plant with tall spikes of small purple flowers that attract butterflies
  • noun
  • /ˈɡeɪˌfɛðər/
  • US
translation icon : pluma gay
  • The gay-feather bloomed brightly along the edge of the prairie in late summer.

Examples

  • The gay-feather blooms beautifully in late summer.

  • She added a bouquet of gay-feather to the dining table for a splash of color.

  • Gardeners often plant gay-feather to attract butterflies to their yards.

  • I saw a field full of gay-feathers near the river.

  • Gardeners often plant gay-feather to attract butterflies to their yards.

  • She added a bouquet of gay-feather to the dining table for a splash of color.

  • The gay-feather bloomed brightly along the edge of the prairie in late summer.

Synonyms

snakeroot
vsgay-feather
  • US
1 9.9

A tall wild plant with purple flower spikes that grows in prairies

refers to plants with slender spikes of small flower heads rather than discoid racemes
gayfeather
vsgay-feather
  • US
9.9

A tall plant with spikes of small purple or white flowers

is an identical common name variant used for the same plant
dotted gayfeather
vsgay-feather
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American wildflower with many stems and spikes of lavender-pink flowers that attract butterflies and bees

is a general term for similar plants rather than one specific species
Liatris
vsgay-feather
  • Specialized
9.8

A tall plant from North America that has long spikes of purple or white flowers

applies to an individual plant of that genus rather than the whole group
blazing star
vsgay-feather
  • US
6.7

A plant with tall stems and bright purple flowers

is the more specific name focusing on spike flower shape rather than showiness
button snakeroot
vsgay-feather
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American wildflower with small round flower heads on tall spikes

describes plants with spike-arranged flower heads rather than rounded clusters

Surface Forms

gay-feather singular
gay-feathers plural

Morphology

gay-feather = gay + feather (transparent) = gay + feather

The name is a straightforward compound describing the plant's showy, feather-like flower spikes, so its meaning is derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Gay-feather comes from the two plain English words gay ('bright' or 'showy') and feather ('plume'), because the flower spikes look like tall, feathery plumes. That's why this plant with purple spikes is called gay-feather and is used to add color to gardens.