any of several plants having fragrant flowers, such as the stock and wallflower
2. an archaic name for carnation
Word origin
C14: changed (through influence of flower) from gilofre, from Old French girofle, from Medieval Latin, from Greek karuophullon clove tree, from karuon nut + phullon leaf
gillyflower in American English
(ˈdʒɪliˌflauər)
noun
1. archaic
any of several fragrant flowers of the genus Dianthus, as the carnation or clove pink
2.
any of various other usually fragrant flowers, esp. a stock, Matthiola incana, of the mustard family
Also: gilliflower
Word origin
[1300–50; alter. (by association with flower) of ME gilofre, geraflour ‹ OF gilofre, girofle ‹ L caryophyllum ‹ Gk karyóphyllon clove (káryo(n) nut + phýllon leaf)]This word is first recorded in the period 1300–50. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: address, brace, discharge, finish, natural