What does anemone mean?
An anemone is a flowering plant belonging to the genus Anemone, a group of roughly 200 species of herbaceous perennials in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Often called windflowers, anemones produce striking, poppy-like blooms in shades of white, pink, purple, red, and blue, and they are prized in gardens and floral arrangements alike. Familiar species include the wood anemone, a delicate spring wildflower of European woodlands, and the Japanese anemone, a taller autumn-flowering variety. The name derives from the Greek word for wind, reflecting an ancient belief that the flowers opened only when the wind blew. By extension, the term also appears in 'sea anemone', the common name for a sedentary marine predator whose flower-like tentacles inspired the shared name, though it is an animal rather than a plant. In common usage, 'anemone' without qualification nearly always denotes the garden or wild flower rather than the sea creature.
nounA genus of perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), bearing showy, often brightly coloured, cup-shaped flowers; also called windflower.
- Any plant of the genus Anemone, herbaceous perennials with showy cup-shaped flowers, commonly called windflowers.
- Informally and by extension, a sea anemone — a marine animal named for its resemblance to the flower.
"The woodland floor was carpeted with white wood anemones in early spring."
"She planted a drift of purple anemones along the south-facing border."
"Clownfish shelter among the stinging tentacles of the sea anemone."
The standard English plural is simply 'anemones'; the variant 'anemonies' is sometimes encountered but is considered nonstandard.
"The florist arranged a dozen scarlet anemones in a low vase."
The word 'anemone' comes from the Greek for 'daughter of the wind' — legend says the flowers only bloomed when the wind blew, which is why gardeners still call them windflowers.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anemone
The word 'anemone' entered English in the mid-16th century, borrowed from Latin, which itself took it from Greek ἀνεμώνη (anemōnē). The Greek name is traditionally linked to ἄνεμος (anemos), meaning 'wind', giving rise to the folk name 'windflower'; classical writers such as Pliny recorded the belief that the flowers opened only when the wind blew. The same Greek root 'anemos' underlies other English words such as 'anemometer', the instrument that measures wind speed. A separate but similarly named creature, the sea anemone, was given its common name because its flower-like form recalled the plant.
How anemone is actually used
In everyday gardening contexts, 'anemone' almost always means the flowering plant; when referring to the marine animal, speakers typically say 'sea anemone'. The plural is usually 'anemones', though the Latin-style plural 'anemonies' is occasionally seen but nonstandard.
Easily confused with anemone
An anemone is a flower (or a sea creature), while an enema is a medical procedure involving the injection of fluid into the rectum — the two words share a superficial sound resemblance but nothing else.
Strictly speaking not a confusion but a related term: a sea anemone is a predatory marine animal of the order Actiniaria, whereas 'anemone' in botany refers to a flowering plant; both are named for the same Greek root.