carnation

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for its flowers.
2. (countable, uncountable) A type of Eurasian plant widely cultivated for its flowers.
3. (countable, uncountable) The type of flower they bear, originally flesh-coloured, but since hybridizing found in a variety of colours.
4. (countable, uncountable) A rosy pink colour
5. (archaic, countable, especially, uncountable) The pinkish colors used in art to render human face and flesh
6. (countable, uncountable) A scarlet colour.

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Of a rosy pink or red colour.
2. (archaic, not-comparable) Of a human flesh color.

Synonyms

pink

clove pink

flower

🌸

gillyflower

Dianthus caryophyllus

incarnadine

scarlet

vermilion

clove

clove-pink

sweet william

bouquet

💐

bunch of flowers

flesh colour

dianthus

flesh color

Translations

clavel

œillet

👁️

garofano

Nelke

anjelier

anjer

cravo

karanfil

incarnat

γαρίφαλο

γαρύφαλλο

clavell

oeillet

γαριφαλιά

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kɑːˈneɪ.ʃən/

Etymology

From Middle French carnation (“flesh color, complexion”), either via Italian carnagione (“flesh color”) or directly from Late Latin carnātiō (“fleshiness”), from Latin carō (“flesh, meat”) + ātiō (“-ation”). As a flower and its color, possibly instead from corruption in French of coronation (“crowning, crowned thing”) under the influence of carnation, from the flower's supposed resemblance to a crown.