Shamrock Definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SHAM'ROCK, n. The Irish name for three-leafed grass.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: creeping European clover having white to pink flowers and bright green leaves; naturalized in United States; widely grown for forage [syn: white clover, dutch clover, shamrock, Trifolium repens]
2: Eurasian plant with heart-shaped trifoliate leaves and white purple-veined flowers [syn: common wood sorrel, cuckoo bread, shamrock, Oxalis acetosella]
3: clover native to Ireland with yellowish flowers; often considered the true or original shamrock [syn: hop clover, shamrock, lesser yellow trefoil, Trifolium dubium]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Irish seamróg, diminutive of seamar clover Date: 1577 a trifoliolate plant used as a floral emblem by the Irish: as a. a yellow-flowered Old World clover (Trifolium dubium) often regarded as the true shamrock b. wood sorrel c. white clover

English Explanatory Dictionary

n. US sl. a detective. [20th c.: orig. uncert.]

English Explanatory Dictionary

n. US sl. a detective. [20th c.: orig. uncert.]

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. any of various plants with trifoliate leaves, esp. Trifolium repens or Medicago lupulina, used as the national emblem of Ireland. Etymology: Ir. seamróg trefoil, dimin. of seamar clover + og young

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Shamrock Sham"rock, n. [L. seamrog, seamar, trefoil, white clover, white honeysuckle; akin to Gael. seamrag.] (Bot.) A trifoliate plant used as a national emblem by the Irish. The legend is that St. Patrick once plucked a leaf of it for use in illustrating the doctrine of the trinity. Note: The original plant was probably a kind of wood sorrel (Oxalis Acetocella); but now the name is given to the white clover (Trifolium repens), and the black medic (Medicago lupulina).

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(shamrocks) A shamrock is a small plant with three round leaves on each stem. The shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. White trefoil, white clover, Dutch clover (Trifolium repens). 2. Hop-trefoil, black nonesuch (Medicago lupulina).

Foolish Dictionary

A three-time loser as a racer at sea, but a four-time winner as an "ad." for tea--and Sir T.

Moby Thesaurus

armory, badge, badge of office, badges, baton, blazonry, brassard, button, cap and gown, chain, chain of office, class ring, clover, cockade, collar, cross, decoration, deuce-ace, dress, eagle, emblems, ensigns, fasces, figurehead, fleur-de-lis, hammer and sickle, heraldry, insignia, lapel pin, leash, livery, mace, mantle, markings, medal, mortarboard, old school tie, pin, regalia, ring, rose, school ring, set of three, sigillography, skull and crossbones, sphragistics, staff, swastika, tartan, tercet, ternary, ternion, terzetto, thistle, three, threesome, tie, tierce, trefoil, trey, triad, trialogue, triangle, tricorn, trident, triennium, trihedron, trilogy, trimester, trine, trinity, trinomial, trio, triphthong, triple crown, triple threat, triplet, triplopy, tripod, triptych, trireme, triseme, triskelion, trisul, triumvirate, triunity, trivet, troika, uniform, verge, wand