sunflower
- 01 A2 Elementary
a tall plant with a large, round, yellow flower that turns to face the sun.
a plant of the genus Helianthus, typically having a very large, disk-shaped floral head surrounded by bright yellow petals.
Simple“The sunflowers in the garden grew taller than the fence by mid-summer.”
In context“Fields of sunflowers are cultivated across the region both for their aesthetic appeal and for the commercial production of vegetable oil.”
Synonymshelianthus - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a bright, warm yellow color like the petals of the flower.
a specific shade of bright yellow resembling the ray florets of the Helianthus plant.
Simple“She chose a sunflower yellow paint for the nursery to make it feel cheerful.”
In context“The artist used a vibrant sunflower hue to highlight the contrast between the foreground petals and the deep blue of the sky.”
Synonymsbright yellowgolden - 03 C2 Proficiency
a yellow and black circular signal inside a train driver's cabin.
a visual indicator in a train cab, part of the Automatic Warning System, which displays a yellow and black pattern after a warning is acknowledged.
Simple“The driver checked the sunflower on the dashboard after passing the warning signal.”
In context“Upon acknowledging the audible alert, the sunflower indicator changed state to remind the driver of the restrictive signal ahead.”
SynonymsAWS indicator - 04 C2 Proficiency
a type of chemical molecule that looks like a flat circle with parts coming out from the center.
a descriptive term for flat, radially symmetric organic compounds, such as coronene, due to their structural resemblance to the flower.
Simple“The professor explained how the sunflower structure of the molecule affects its stability.”
In context“Researchers observed that the sunflower-like symmetry of these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons facilitates unique electronic properties.”
Compound of sun + flower. Compare English sunbloom.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.