Flower and Flour Were Once the Same Word
A flower is a plant's reproductive structure. Flour is the same word, meaning the finest part of the grain.
A flower is the reproductive structure of a plant. *Flour* is the same word with a different spelling: it meant the flower or finest part of the meal, the best of the ground grain. The two spellings separated only in the nineteenth century, and before that a baker and a gardener wrote the same letters.
- A plant's bloom. *A cut flower.*
- To bloom. *The tree flowered.*
- The best part. *The flower of the nation.*
- Flour — ground grain. *A bag of flour.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | flower | A wild flower. |
| Plural | flowers | Fresh flowers. |
| Verb | flower | It flowered early. |
| Adjective | floral | A floral print. |
| Homophone | flour | Plain flour. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The flower of the regiment.The finest of them.
- Flour is the flower of the grain.The original sense.
- Flourish comes from the same root.To be in flower.
Parts of a flower
- Petal — the coloured part attracting pollinators
- Sepal — the outer protective leaf
- Stamen — the male part, producing pollen
- Pistil — the female part, receiving it
- Nectary — the gland producing nectar
From Old French *flor*, from Latin *flos*, a flower. *Flour* is the same word, used for the finest part of ground grain.
Are flower and flour the same word?
Yes. Flour meant the flower, or finest part, of the meal. The spellings separated in the nineteenth century.
Are flourish and flower related?
Yes. To flourish originally meant to be in flower, and then to thrive.