flour vs. flower (омофоны)

Дата публикации: Dec 26, 2015 6:58:9 PM

flour noun BrE /ˈflaʊə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈflaʊər/ - [uncountable] a fine white or brown powder made from grain, especially wheat, and used in cooking for making bread, cakes, etc.

Blend the flour with a little milk to make a smooth paste.

Rub the butter into the flour.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.

flour verb BrE /ˈflaʊə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈflaʊər/ - [usually passive] flour something to cover something with a layer of flour

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface.

flour (n.) - "finer portion of ground grain," mid-13c., from flower (n.), and maintaining its older spelling, on the notion of flour as the "finest part" of meal, perhaps as the flower is the finest part of the plant or the fairest plant of the field (compare French fleur de farine), as distinguished from the coarser parts (meal (n.2)). Old French flor also meant both "a flower, blossom" and "meal, fine flour." The English word also was spelled flower until flour became the accepted form c. 1830 to end confusion. Flour-knave "miller's helper" is from c. 1300.

flower noun BrE /ˈflaʊə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈflaʊər/

1. the coloured part of a plant from which the seed or fruit develops. Flowers usually grow at the end of a stem and last only a short time.

The plant has a beautiful bright red flower.

The roses are in flower early this year.

The crocuses are late coming into flower.

2. a plant grown for the beauty of its flowers

a garden full of flowers

a flower garden/show

3. a flower with its stem that has been picked as a decoration

I picked some flowers.

a bunch of flowers

a flower arrangement

see also bouquet

Extra examples

He stopped to smell the flowers.

He took her flowers and chocolates.

I ordered flowers online for her birthday.

I sent him flowers to apologize.

I’m learning flower arranging.

If the winter weather is mild, plants may come into flower too early.

It has deep pink scented flowers.

It was June and the roses were in flower.

It was the first year that the cactus had produced flowers.

The alleys were adorned with banks of flowers.

The bush was absolutely covered in flowers.

The flowers are pollinated by insects.

The flowers were still tightly closed.

The forest floor was a carpet of wild flowers.

The park will have cherries in full flower this month.

The spring flowers were just coming out.

They sell a few pot plants, but they mainly sell cut flowers.

What beautiful flowers!

What lovely flowers!

What time of year do daffodils flower?

Idioms

the flower of something - (literary) the finest or best part of something

They were cut down in the flower of their youth.

flower verb BrE /ˈflaʊə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈflaʊər/

1. [intransitive] (of a plant or tree) to produce flowers

synonym bloom

This particular variety flowers in July.

early-flowering spring bulbs

2. [intransitive] (literary) to develop and become successful

synonym blossom

flower (n.)

c. 1200, flour, also flur, flor, floer, floyer, flowre, "the blossom of a plant; a flowering plant," from Old French flor "flower, blossom; heyday, prime; fine flour; elite; innocence, virginity" (12c., Modern French fleur), from Latin florem (nominative flos) "flower" (source of Italian fiore, Spanish flor; compare flora).

From late 14c. in English as "blossoming time," also, figuratively, "prime of life, height of one's glory or prosperity, state of anything that may be likened to the flowering state of a plant." As "the best, the most excellent; the best of its class or kind; embodiment of an ideal," early 13c. (of persons, mid-13c. of things); for example flour of milk "cream" (early 14c.); especially "wheat meal after bran and other coarse elements have been removed, the best part of wheat" (mid-13c.). Modern spelling and full differentiation from flour (n.) is from late 14c.

In the "blossom of a plant" sense it ousted its Old English cognate blostm (see blossom (n.)). Also used from Middle English as a symbol of transitoriness (early 14c.); "a beautiful woman" (c. 1300); "virginity" (early 14c.). Flower-box is from 1818. Flower-arrangement is from 1873. Flower child "gentle hippie" is from 1967.