asphodel

See also: Asphodel

English

white asphodel (Asphodelus albus)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀσφόδελος (asphódelos). Doublet of daffodil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæsfədɛl/

Noun

asphodel (usually uncountable, plural asphodels)

2. Any of the flowering plants of the family Asphodelaceae, especially Asphodelus ramosus and Asphodelus albus; the flower of these plants.
   • 1962, Simone de Beauvoir, translated by Peter Green, The Prime of Life, Cleveland, OH: The World Publishing Company, translation of La Force de l'âge, →OCLC, page 77:

     Sometimes I lost track of them and had to hunt round in a circle, thrusting through sharp-scented bushes, scratching myself on various plants which were still new to me: resinaceous rock-roses, juniper, ilex, yellow and white asphodel [translating asphodèles].

3. (Greek mythology) The flower said to carpet Hades, and a favorite food of the dead.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Her hand he seis'd, and to a shadie bank,
     Thick overhead with verdant roof imbowr'd
     He led her nothing loath; Flours were the Couch,
     Pansies, and Violets, and Asphodel,
     And Hyacinth, Earths freshest softest lap.

Derived terms

• bog asphodel

Translations

plant of the genus Asphodelus

• Albanian: badër (sq) f
• Bulgarian: бял бърдун (bjal bǎrdun)
• Catalan: asfòdel, porrassa, albó, caramuixa, gamó
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 常春花, 日光蘭／日光兰

• Finnish: soihtu (fi)
• French: asphodèle (fr) m
• Galician: abrótea (gl) f, gamón m
• Gallurese: tarabùcchjulu
• German: Affodil m
• Greek: ασφόδελος (el) m (asfódelos)

  Ancient: ἀσφόδελος m (asphódelos)

• Hebrew: עִירִית (he) f ('irít)
• Irish: lus caisil m
• Italian: asfodelo (it) m
• Latin: asphodelus m, hērōum n, albutium n
• Polish: asfodel (pl) m, chryzantema (pl) f, złocień (pl) m, złotogłów (pl) m
• Portuguese: asfódelo m
• Romanian: asfodel n
• Russian: асфоде́ль (ru) f (asfodɛ́lʹ), златоцве́тник m (zlatocvétnik)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: cardilloni, erbùtzu, scrarìa

  Logudorese: armuttu, iscrarèya, pramuttu, senàbre

• Sassarese: usciaréu
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: зла̏тоглав m, асфо̀дел m, бр̏ден m

  Roman: zlȁtoglav (sh) m, asfòdel (sh) m, bȑden (sh) m

• Sicilian: malaguffa f, mafalufa f
• Spanish: asfódelo m, gamón m
• Turkish: çiriş otu (tr)

Anagrams

• pholades, Adolphes