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Definition of dog tooth violet
dog tooth violet
Plural:dog tooth violets
dog tooth violet Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
10
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A spring-flowering woodland herbaceous perennial of the lily family (genus Erythronium), native to temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, characterized by nodding, lily-like flowers and distinctively mottled leaves.
Example
"While hiking through the Appalachian deciduous forest in early spring, we spotted a beautiful patch of yellow dog tooth violets blooming near a stream."
Word Nuance & Usage
Despite its common name, the dog tooth violet is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae) rather than a true violet (family Violaceae).
Word Origin & Etymology
The plant receives its common name from its distinctive, white, pointed underground bulbs (corms), which closely resemble the canine teeth of a dog.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Dog tooth violet. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/dog tooth violet