centaurea Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun knapweed; star thistle
    genus Centaurea.

WordNet

Cen`tau*re"a noun
Etymology
NL. See Centaury.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A large genus of composite plants, related to the thistles and including the cornflower or bluebottle (Centaurea Cyanus) and the star thistle (C. Calcitrapa).

Webster 1913