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marigold

 - 3 dictionary results

mar⋅i⋅gold

[mar-i-gohld]
–noun
1. any of several chiefly golden-flowered composite plants, esp. of the genus Tagetes, as T. erecta, having strong-scented foliage and yielding an oil that repels root parasites.
2. any of several unrelated plants, esp. of the genus Calendula, as C. officinalis, the pot marigold.

Origin:
1300–50; ME; see Mary (the Virgin), gold
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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mar·i·gold   (mār'ĭ-gōld', mâr'-)   


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n.  
  1. Any of various American plants of the genus Tagetes, widely cultivated for their showy yellow or orange flowers.

  2. Any of several plants related to the marigold or having similar flowers, such as the marsh marigold.


[Middle English : Mari, Mary, ultimately from Greek Maria; see marionette + golde, marigold (from Old English golde; probably akin to gold).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

marigold 
1373, marygolde, from Mary (probably a reference to the Virgin) + gold, for color. The O.E. name for the flower was simply golde.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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