mayflower
mayflower Lexical Profile
mayflower Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American (Usually capitalized) The historic English sailing ship that transported the first English Puritans, known today as the Pilgrims, from Plymouth, England, to the New World in 1620.
"The Pilgrims signed a historic governing document aboard the Mayflower before disembarking at Cape Cod."
Any of several plants that bloom in the month of May, most notably the trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) in North America, or the hawthorn and cuckooflower in the United Kingdom.
"While walking through the Massachusetts woods in early spring, we spotted a patch of fragrant pink mayflowers blooming beneath the pines."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word is almost universally capitalized as 'Mayflower' when referring to the historic 1620 ship. When written in lowercase, it refers generically to several different spring-blooming plant species depending on the region (e.g., trailing arbutus in North America, hawthorn in Britain).
• Rhymes for mayflower
Word Origin & Etymology
Originates from Middle English, formed as a compound of 'May' (the month) and 'flower', denoting various plants that traditionally bloom in May. It gained monumental historical significance as the name of the English ship that carried the Pilgrims to America in 1620.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.