Crocus definition | Dictionary.com

cro⋅cus

[kroh-kuh

–noun, plural -cus⋅es.

1.	any of the small, bulbous plants of the genus Crocus, of the iris family, cultivated for their showy, solitary flowers, which are among the first to bloom in the spring.

2.	the flower or bulb of the crocus.

3.	a deep yellow; orangish yellow; saffron.

4.	Also called crocus martis [mahr-tis] Show IPA Pronunciation . a polishing powder consisting of iron oxide.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L < Gk krókos saffron, crocus < Sem; cf. Ar kurkum saffron

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Language Translation for : Crocus

Spanish:

azafrán,

German:

der Krokus,

Japanese:

クロッカス

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cro·cus (krō'kəs) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. cro·cus·es or cro·ci (-sī, -kī)

1. Any of various perennial Eurasian herbs of the genus Crocus, having grasslike leaves and showy, variously colored flowers.
2. Any of several other plants, such as the autumn crocus.
A grayish to light reddish purple.
A dark red powdered variety of iron oxide, Fe₂O₃, used as an abrasive for polishing.
A coarse, loosely woven material like burlap, once used to make sacks for shipping saffron. See Regional Note at gunnysack.

[Middle English, saffron, from Old French, from Latin, from Greek krokos; perhaps from a source akin to Arabic kurkum, saffron.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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crocus

1398, from L. crocus, from Gk. krokos "saffron, crocus," probably of Sem. origin (cf. Arab kurkum), ult. from Skt. kunkumam. The autumnal crocus (Crocus sativa) was a common source of yellow dye in Roman times, and was perhaps grown in England, where the word existed as O.E. croh, but this form of the word was forgotten by the time the plant was re-introduced in Western Europe by the Crusaders.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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crocus
noun
any of numerous low-growing plants of the genus Crocus having slender grasslike leaves and white or yellow or purple flowers; native chiefly to the Mediterranean region but widely cultivated

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Main Entry: cro·cus
Pronunciation: 'krO-k&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural cro·cus·es
1 pluralalso crocus or cro·ci /-"kE, -"kI, -"sI/ : any of a large genus (Crocus) of perennial herbs of the iris family (Iridaceae)
2 : SAFFRON 1

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Crocus, ND (township, FIPS 09516820)
Location: (48.684563, -99.153834)
Population (2000): 54 (25 housing units)
Area: 35.020055 sq mi (land), 0.940323 sq mi (water)

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
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Crocus

Cro"cus\ (kr[=o]"k[u^]s), n. [L., saffron, fr. Gr. kro`kos; cf. Heb. kark[=o]m, Ar. kurkum, Skr. ku[.n]kuma.]

1. (Bot.) A genus of iridaceous plants, with pretty blossoms rising separately from the bulb or corm. C. vernus is one of the earliest of spring-blooming flowers; C. sativus produces the saffron, and blossoms in the autumn.

2. (Chem.) A deep yellow powder; the oxide of some metal calcined to a red or deep yellow color; esp., the oxide of iron (Crocus of Mars or colcothar) thus produced from salts of iron, and used as a polishing powder.

Crocus of Venus (Old Chem.), oxide of copper.