buttercup

/ˌbʌdərˈkʌp/

/ˈbʌtəkəp/

Other forms: buttercups

Definitions of buttercup

1. noun

   any of various plants of the genus Ranunculus
   synonyms: butter-flower, butterflower, crowfoot, goldcup, kingcup

   types:

   Ranunculus acris, meadow buttercup, tall buttercup, tall crowfoot, tall field buttercup

   perennial European buttercup with yellow spring flowers widely naturalized especially in eastern North America

   Ranunculus bulbosus, common buttercup

   perennial Old World buttercup with golden to sulphur yellow flowers in late spring to early summer; naturalized in North America

   Mount Cook lily, Ranunculus lyalii, mountain lily

   showy white-flowered perennial of New Zealand

   Ranunculus occidentalis, western buttercup

   perennial of western North America

   Ranunculus repens, creeping buttercup, creeping crowfoot

   perennial European herb with long creeping stolons

   Ranunculus sceleratus, celery-leaved buttercup, cursed crowfoot

   annual herb growing in marshy places

   type of:

   herb, herbaceous plant

   a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests