amaranth

Meaning

Noun

• An imaginary flower that does not wither.
• Any of various herbs of the genus Amaranthus.
• The characteristic purplish-red colour of the flowers or leaves of these plants.
• A red to purple azo dye used as a biological stain, and in some countries in cosmetics and as a food colouring.
• The seed of these plants, used as a cereal.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• flower-gentle (Amarantus melancholicus (species))
• love-lies-bleeding, thrumwort (Amaranthus caudatus)
• Prince-of-Wales feather, prince's feather (Amaranthus hypochondriacus (species))

Origin

• Borrowed from French amarante, or directly from its etymon Latin amarantus (the word ending influenced by plant names derived from ἄνθος), from Ancient Greek ἀμάραντος (modern Greek αμάραντος), from ᾰ̓- + μαραίνω + -τος.