marigold means having the color of marigolds, a bright yellowish-orange hue. It carries an Arena rating of 1568, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, marigold ranks #419 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #3,423 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #4,886 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #4,994 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
marigold is pronounced /ˈmæɹ.ɪˌɡəʊld/.
Why “marigold” is a great word
A hardy annual plant bearing vibrant composite flowers in hues of brilliant orange, sunlit yellow, or deep reddish-gold, also naming that specific color and, in British slang, a sum of one million pounds. From Middle English *marigolde*, *marygoldye*, from *Mary* (referring to the Virgin Mary) + *golde* ("marigold"), literally "Mary's gold". Unlike "calendula," which specifically denotes the Old World genus often prized in tinctures and salves, or "chrysanthemum," with its formal, structured blooms signaling autumn and honor, "marigold" is the simpler, solar devotee, woven into Day of the Dead altars and wedding garlands. It is the garland strung across a Mexican *ofrenda* to guide spirits home with its glow, the tangled border of a cottage garden where nothing is tended yet everything thrives, and the sudden slang of a London trader speaking of a million pounds as casually as of a flower. The word itself is a small alchemy, turning faith and foliage into a currency not of markets, but of thresholds.
Etymology
From Middle English marigolde, marygoldye, from Mary (referring to the Virgin Mary) + Middle English golde (“marigold”).
adj
- Having the color of marigolds, a bright yellowish-orange hue.
noun
- Any of the Old World plants, of the genus Calendula, with orange, yellow or reddish flowers.e.g.“A piece of marigold or bay leaf was imbedded in the metal, and over it a carbuncle or chrysolite was placed.” — 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 155:
- Any of the New World plants, of the genus Tagetes, with orange, yellow or reddish flowers.e.g.“Native Americans introduced whites and slaves to several edible greens including marigold, milkweed, and pokeweed (Whit 2007).” — 2009, Herbert C. Covey, Dwight Eisnach, What the Slaves Ate, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 87:
- A million pounds sterling.
- A rubber glove, especially one for use in household cleaning.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- calendula 78% match — Any plant of the genus Calendula, with yellow or orange flowers, often called marigolds. vs marigold →
- caltha 57% match — A plant of the genus Caltha; a marsh marigold. vs marigold →
- calendulin 55% match — A gummy or mucilaginous substance obtained from the marigold or calendula, and analogous to bassorin. It is possibly saponin or lutein. vs marigold →
- dimorphotheca 55% match — Any of several composite plants, of the genus Dimorphotheca, Cape marigolds. vs marigold →
- mullein 54% match — Any of a few hundred species of European and Asian plants, of the genus Verbascum, especially that majority that have yellow flowers. vs marigold →
- calenduloside 53% match — Any of several glycosides present in calendula vs marigold →
- coreopsis 52% match — Any of several composite herbs, of genus Coreopsis, typically with bright yellow flowers. vs marigold →
- amaracus 51% match — Marjoram. vs marigold →