Search Dictionary
Definition of erythronium
erythronium
/ˌɛr.ɪˈθroʊ.ni.əm/
er · y · thro · ni · um
Plural:erythroniums
erythronium Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
13
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
erythronium Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
Any bulbous woodland perennial plant of the genus Erythronium in the lily family (Liliaceae), native to temperate regions of North America and Eurasia, commonly known as trout lily, dog's-tooth violet, or fawn lily, cultivated for its mottled foliage and nodding, lily-like spring flowers with recurved tepals in shades of yellow, white, pink, or purple.
2
A former name given in 1801 by the Spanish-Mexican mineralogist Andrés Manuel del Río to the chemical element now known as vanadium, in reference to the red color of its heated salts.
Example
"Before being rediscovered and named vanadium in 1830, the metallic element was originally isolated from Mexican lead ore and called erythronium."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for erythronium• Rhymes for erythronium
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Erythronium. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/erythronium