shamrock
shamrocks
A shamrock is a three-leafed green clover that's used to symbolize Ireland. Go all out for St. Patrick's Day this year — decorate your whole house with shamrocks!
A clover must have exactly three leaves to be a shamrock, and some people believe only certain clover varieties qualify. Since at least 1675, Catholics have associated the shamrock with Saint Patrick, who famously used it to represent the Holy Trinity. It wasn't until the 18th century that it shifted from representing Ireland's patron saint to Ireland itself. The shamrock even shows up on some British coins, alongside the English rose and Scottish thistle.
Definitions of shamrock
-
clover native to Ireland with yellowish flowers; often considered the true or original shamrock
-
synonyms:
Trifolium dubium, hop clover, lesser yellow trefoil
-
creeping European clover having white to pink flowers and bright green leaves; naturalized in United States; widely grown for forage
-
synonyms:
Trifolium repens, dutch clover, white clover
-
Eurasian plant with heart-shaped trifoliate leaves and white purple-veined flowers
-
synonyms:
Oxalis acetosella, common wood sorrel, cuckoo bread
-
type of:
-
oxalis, sorrel, wood sorrel
any plant or flower of the genus Oxalis
-
oxalis, sorrel, wood sorrel
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘shamrock'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up shamrock for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
