amaranth

am·a·ranth  (m-rnth)

n.

1. Any of various annuals of the genus Amaranthus having dense green or reddish clusters of tiny flowers and including several weeds, ornamentals, and food plants. Also called pigweed.

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.

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[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.]

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amaranth [ˈæməˌrænθ]

n

1. Poetic an imaginary flower that never fades

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / 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, pigweed [1]

3. (Cookery) a synthetic red food colouring (E123), used in packet soups, cake mixes, etc.

[from Latin amarantus, from Greek amarantos unfading, from a-¹ + marainein to fade]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	amaranth - seed of amaranth plants used as a native cereal in Central and South America caryopsis, grain - dry seed-like fruit produced by the cereal grasses: e.g. wheat, barley, Indian corn
	2.	amaranth - any of various plants of the genus Amaranthus having dense plumes of green or red flowers; often cultivated for food Amaranthus, genus Amaranthus - large widely distributed genus of chiefly coarse annual herbs Amaranthus albus, Amaranthus graecizans, tumbleweed - bushy plant of western United States 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