chelone
chelone Lexical Profile
chelone Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A herbaceous perennial plant of the genus Chelone native to North America, characterized by tubular, two-lipped flowers that resemble the head of a turtle.
"The gardener planted pink chelone in the damp soil near the pond to attract butterflies late in the summer."
A marine turtle, particularly referencing species within the family Cheloniidae, or broadly used in archaic contexts to describe any chelonian reptile like a tortoise.
"Early nineteenth-century naturalists occasionally grouped several distinct species of marine turtles under the broad morphological label of chelone."
• Rhymes for chelone
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Ancient Greek 'khelōnē' (χελώνη), meaning 'tortoise' or 'turtle'. In botany, the name refers to the distinct turtle-head shape of the plant's flowers. In Greek mythology, Chelone was a nymph transformed into a tortoise by Hermes.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.