moonflower
moonflower Lexical Profile
moonflower Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A tropical American vine (Ipomoea alba) of the morning glory family, widely cultivated for its large, fragrant, white blossoms that open rapidly in the evening or at night and close before noon the following day.
"We trained a moonflower to climb the trellis by the porch so we could enjoy its sweet fragrance during late summer evenings."
Any of several other distinct night-blooming plants featuring large, pale, tubular flowers, most notably toxic species within the genus Datura.
"The gardener warned the children not to touch the moonflower bush, as Datura plants contain potent and dangerous alkaloids."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of the English words 'moon' and 'flower', coined in the late 18th century to describe the plant's characteristic behavior of unfurling its blossoms in the evening or at night.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.