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Indian paintbrush
noun
1
: any of a genus (Castilleja of the family Orobanchaceae) of chiefly American herbaceous plants that have brightly colored bracts
called also painted cup
2
Examples of Indian paintbrush in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hikers can enjoy the coastal sage scrub vegetation, including blooming plants like Indian paintbrush, California broom and black sage.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
The federally endangered Bear Valley sandwort, Ash-gray Indian paintbrush, and southern mountain wild-buckwheat are no match for the cascading impacts of soil disturbances caused by burros on the move.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
The trails are generally free of snow, warm weather blankets the alpine, and meadows of fiery wavy-leaf Indian paintbrush and fuchsia monkeyflowers burst into bloom.
—Emily Pennington, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 June 2023
The Indian paintbrush is Wyoming's state flower.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2023
And there is Indian paintbrush that’s a reddish orange.
—Joanne Kempinger Demski, Journal Sentinel, 30 June 2022
Other blooms include golden-beard penstemon, Indian paintbrush, yarrow and goldeneye.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2022
You are humbled by the leviathan Sierra peaks, overwhelmed by the beauty of blooming Indian paintbrush, the intricate coloration of these wild trout, or the softness of summer meadows blanketed in moss heather.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2021
Above the meadow strewn with Indian paintbrush flowers, the constellations seemed to swirl together in a swallowing immensity.
—Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2021
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Word History
First Known Use
1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of Indian paintbrush was
in 1892
Dictionary Entries Near Indian paintbrush
Cite this Entry
“Indian paintbrush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Indian%20paintbrush. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
Indian paintbrush
noun1
: any of a large genus of mostly American herbs that have spikes of flowers with brightly colored bracts
2
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