any of numerous tropical and temperate plants of the genus Amaranthus, having tassel-like heads of small green, red, or purple flowers: family Amaranthaceae
See also love-lies-bleeding, tumbleweed, pigweed (sense 1)
3.
a synthetic red food colouring (E123), used in packet soups, cake mixes, etc
Word origin
C17: from Latin amarantus, from Greek amarantos unfading, from a-1 + marainein to fade
amaranth in American English
(ˈæməˌrænθ)
noun
1.
any of a genus (Amaranthus) of plants of the amaranth family: some species, as the love-lies-bleeding, havecolorful leaves and showy, tassel-like flower heads and other species, as pigweed or tumbleweed, are weeds
2. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic
an imaginary flower that never fades or dies
3.
a dark purplish red
adjective
4.
designating a family (Amaranthaceae) of dicotyledonous plants (order Caryophyllales), includingthe cockscombs
Word origin
< ModL < L amarantus < Gr amarantos, unfading < a-, not + marainein, to die away: for IE base see mortal