Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Old French flur, flour, flor, fleur (Middle French, French fleur ) flower, bloom, blossom (of a plant), representation of a flower, decoration, the best of something, best part, shining example, an elite group or individual, a paragon, a virtuous or beautiful person, prime or bloom (of life, etc.), virginity (all 12th cent.), flour (12th cent.: see flour n.) < Latin flōr- , flōs flower, bloom, blossom, representation of a flower, state of being in flower, something forming on the surface (as scum on wine), powdered or powdery form of a substance, fragrance, aroma (of wine, etc.), most flourishing condition attained by a person or thing, zenith, youthful condition, youthful prime, virginity, best of something, rhetorical or poetical ornamentation < the same Indo-European base as blow v.² See also flour n., originally a variant of this word.Compare Old Occitan flor, Catalan flor, Spanish flor, Portuguese flor, Italian fiore, †flor; the word is recorded from the earliest documented period for each language.

Etymology: < flower n. Compare Anglo-Norman and Old French flurir, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French florir, flourir, Middle French, French fleurir (12th cent. in both literal and figurative uses), classical Latin flōrēre.In Middle English prefixed and unprefixed forms of the past participle are attested (see y- prefix).