Daisy Means Day's Eye
A daisy is a small flower with white petals and a yellow centre. Its name describes how it opens at dawn and closes at dusk.
A daisy is a small flower with white ray petals around a yellow centre. Its name is a compressed description: Old English *dæges eage*, day's eye, because the flower opens at first light and closes as evening comes. The yellow disc is the eye, and it watches the day. What looks like one flower is in fact hundreds: the yellow centre is a cluster of tiny separate florets, each a complete flower.
- A small white flower. *A field of daisies.*
- Daisy chain — flowers linked together. *A daisy chain.*
- Fresh as a daisy — wide awake. *Fresh as a daisy.*
- Pushing up daisies — dead. *Pushing up daisies.*
- Old English — *dæges eage*, day's eye. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | daisy | One daisy. |
| Plural | daisies | White daisies. |
| Compound | daisy chain | A daisy chain. |
| Compound | oxeye daisy | An oxeye daisy. |
| Old English | dæges eage | Day's eye. |
- The lawn was full of daisies.Garden.
- She made a daisy chain.Play.
- The yellow centre is many tiny flowers.Botany.
Flowers named for what they do
- Daisy — day's eye, opening at dawn
- Sunflower — turns towards the sun when young
- Morning glory — opens in the morning and fades by afternoon
- Evening primrose — opens at dusk
- Four o'clock flower — named for when it opens
Old English *dæges eage*, day's eye, from the flower's habit of opening and closing with the light.
Is a daisy one flower?
No. The yellow centre is made of hundreds of tiny florets, each a complete flower in itself.
What does pushing up daisies mean?
Informal and darkly humorous for being dead and buried, with daisies growing above the grave.