am·a·ranth
(ăm′ə-rănth′)n.
1.
a. Any of various annual plants of the genus Amaranthus having dense green or reddish clusters of tiny flowers and including weeds, ornamentals, and species cultivated for their edible leaves and seeds. Also called pigweed.
b. The small edible seeds of several of these species.
2. An imaginary flower that never fades.
3. A deep reddish purple to dark or grayish, purplish red.
4. A dark red to purple azo dye.
[New Latin Amaranthus, genus name, alteration of Latin amarantus, from Greek amarantos, unfading : a-, not; see a-1 + marainein, to wither; see mer- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
amaranth
(ˈæməˌrænθ)n
1. poetic an imaginary flower that never fades
2. (Plants) any of numerous tropical and temperate plants of the genus Amaranthus, having tassel-like heads of small green, red, or purple flowers: family Amaranthaceae. See also love-lies-bleeding, tumbleweed, pigweed1
3. (Cookery) a synthetic red food colouring (E123), used in packet soups, cake mixes, etc
[C17: from Latin amarantus, from Greek amarantos unfading, from a-1 + marainein to fade]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
am•a•ranth
(ˈæm əˌrænθ)n.
1. any plant of the genus Amaranthus, some species of which are cultivated as food and some for their showy flower clusters or foliage.
2. an imaginary flower that never dies.
3. a purplish red, water-soluble powder, C20H11N2O10Na3, used as a dye.
[1545–55; < Latin amarantus, alter. of Greek amáranton unfading flower, n. use of neuter singular of amárantos=a- a-6 + -marantos, v. adj. of maraínein to fade]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  amaranth - seed of amaranth plants used as a native cereal in Central and South America |
| 2. |  amaranth - any of various plants of the genus Amaranthus having dense plumes of green or red flowers; often cultivated for foodAmaranthus, genus Amaranthus - large widely distributed genus of chiefly coarse annual herbs Amaranthus caudatus, love-lies-bleeding, velvet flower, tassel flower - young leaves widely used as leaf vegetables; seeds used as cereal Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus hybridus erythrostachys, Amaranthus hybridus hypochondriacus, gentleman's-cane, purple amaranth, red amaranth, prince's-feather, prince's-plume - tall showy tropical American annual having hairy stems and long spikes of usually red flowers above leaves deeply flushed with purple; seeds often used as cereal Amaranthus hypochondriacus, pigweed - leaves sometimes used as potherbs; seeds used as cereal; southern United States to Central America; India and China herb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests |
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