n 1  cap  :  a small genus of herbs of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) having alternate finely dissected leaves and solitary red or yellow flowers  2  :  the herbage of a plant of the genus Adonis (A. vernalis) formerly used like digitalis to treat dropsy
Adonis Greek mythological character. Adonis was a beautiful youth much loved by the goddess Aphrodite. While hunting he was attacked and killed by a wild boar. The grieving Aphrodite caused a red-flowered plant to spring forth from his shed blood. Linnaeus named the genus Adonis after the mythological character.
 
   
 
Similar sounding terms:  ad·e·nase  ad·i·ence 
 
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