Definition of BUTTERCUP

buttercup

Meanings

Plural: buttercups

Noun

  • any of various plants of the genus Ranunculus
  • Any of many herbs, of the genus Ranunculus, having yellow flowers; the crowfoot.
  • Any flower of the genus Narcissus; a daffodil.
  • Ellipsis of buttercup squash.
  • Affectionate or ironic term of address.

Origin / Etymology

From butter + cup. Both sense 1 and 2 are from the flowers' association with butter, from their yellow colour. Compare butterflower for a similar derivation; outside of English, compare Dutch boterbloem, German Butterblume.

Synonyms

butter-flower, butterflower, crowfoot, goldcup, kingcup, ranunculus

Scrabble Score: 15

buttercup is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
buttercup is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
buttercup is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 20

buttercup is a valid Words With Friends word