carnation

noun

car·​na·​tion kär-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce carnation (audio)
1
: a plant of any of numerous often cultivated and usually double-flowered varieties or subspecies of an Old World pink (Dianthus caryophyllus) found in many color variations
2
: a moderate red
3
archaic : the variable color of human flesh

Examples of carnation in a Sentence

The groom wore a carnation in his buttonhole.
Recent Examples on the Web When the holiday was first started in 1907 by Anna Jarvis to honor mothers, the day's event was at a Methodist church in West Virginia, where white carnations were reportedly distributed to those in attendance. Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 12 May 2024 Men and women carried bunches of yellow daffodils, carnations, and sunflowers, passing them out to visitors and placing them on the array of circular banquet tables that filled the tent. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carnation 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carnation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Old Italian carnagione, from carne flesh, from Latin carn-, caro

First Known Use

circa 1535, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of carnation was circa 1535

Dictionary Entries Near carnation

Cite this Entry

“Carnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnation. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

carnation

noun
car·​na·​tion kär-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce carnation (audio)
1
: a moderate red
2
: any of the numerous cultivated herbs of the genus of pinks with reddish, pink, yellow, or white usually double flowers

More from Merriam-Webster on carnation

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