Adjacent Words

impatiens definitions

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Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, impatient Date: 1785 any of a widely distributed genus (Impatiens of the family Balsaminaceae) of annual or perennial herbs with irregular spurred or saccate flowers and forcefully dehiscent capsules — compare touch-me-not

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. any plant of the genus Impatiens, including busy Lizzie and touch-me-not. Etymology: mod.L f. IMPATIENT

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Noli-me-tangere No"li-me-tan"ge*re, n. [L., touch me not.] 1. (Bot.) (a) Any plant of a genus of herbs (Impatiens) having capsules which, if touched when ripe, discharge their seeds. -- See Impatiens. (b) The squirting cucumber. See under Cucumber. 2. (Med.) A name formerly applied to several varieties of ulcerous cutaneous diseases, but now restricted to Lupus exedens, an ulcerative affection of the nose.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Impatiens Im*pa"ti*ens, n. [L., impatient.] (Bot.) A genus of plants, several species of which have very beautiful flowers; -- so called because the elastic capsules burst when touched, and scatter the seeds with considerable force. Called also touch-me-not, jewelweed, and snapweed. I. Balsamina (sometimes called lady's slipper) is the common garden balsam.