nemophila

noun

ne·​moph·​i·​la ni-ˈmä-fə-lə How to pronounce nemophila (audio)
: any of a genus (Nemophila) of annual herbs of the forget-me-not family chiefly of western North America that are cultivated for their showy blue or white sometimes spotted flowers

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, genus name, from Greek némos "grove, thicket, pasture" (going back to Indo-European *nemos-/*nemes- "sacred grove," whence also Latin nemus "wood, forest, sacred grove," Old Irish nemed "sacred place, sanctuary") + -phila, feminine of -philos -philous

Note: The genus name was introduced by the English botanist Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859) in "Descriptions of rare plants recently introduced into the gardens of Philadelphia," "Read March 5, 1822," Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. 2, part 1, 1821 [1822], pp. 179-81. Nuttall etymologizes the name in a footnote: "From νεμος, a grove, and φιλέω, I love, a plant peculiar to shady woods." — For further hypothesizing on the etymon of Greek némos, etc., see note at nimble.

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nemophila was in 1838

Rhymes for nemophila

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Browse Nearby Words

nemo me impune lacessit
nemophila
nemopterid
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Cite this Entry

“Nemophila.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nemophila. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nemophila

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