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Definition of monkey flower

monkey flower

Plural:monkey flowers
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• noun

1

Any of numerous flowering plants in the family Phrymaceae (formerly broadly classified in the genus Mimulus, now divided into Erythranthe, Diplacus, and others), typically native to North America and characterized by brightly colored, tubular, two-lipped blossoms that superficially resemble a monkey's face.

Example

"While hiking near the damp coastal streams of California, we spotted vibrant yellow monkey flowers growing abundantly in the moist soil."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for monkey flower

Word Nuance & Usage

Recent botanical taxonomy has split the traditional genus Mimulus, meaning many native North American monkey flowers are now scientifically classified under the genera Erythranthe and Diplacus.

• Nearby Words

monitor lizard
monk
monkey
monkey flower
monkeypox
monkeywrench
monkeywrencher

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Monkey flower. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/monkey-flower
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