Hy"a*cinth noun
Etymology
L.
hyacinthus a kind of flower, prob. the iris, gladiolus, or larkspur, also a kind of gem, perh. the sapphire; as, a proper name,
Hyacinthus, a beautiful Laconian youth, beloved by Apollo, fr. Gr. , : cf. F.
hyacinthe. Cf.
Jacinth. The hyacinth was fabled to have sprung from the blood of
Hyacinthus, who was accidentally slain by Apollo.
Definitions
- (Bot.) (a) A bulbous plant of the genus Hyacinthus, bearing beautiful spikes of fragrant flowers. H. orientalis is a common variety. (b) A plant of the genus Camassia (C. Farseri), called also Eastern camass; wild hyacinth. (c) The name also given to Scilla Peruviana, a Mediterranean plant, one variety of which produces white, and another blue, flowers; -- called also, from a mistake as to its origin, Hyacinth of Peru.
- (Min.) A red variety of zircon, sometimes used as a gem. See Zircon.
