Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of several poisonous trees or shrubs of the genus Laburnum of the pea family, especially L. anagyroides, which is cultivated for its drooping clusters of yellow flowers.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A small leguminous tree, Cytisus Laburnum, a native of the Alps and neighboring mountains, much cultivated for the beauty of its pendulous racemes of yellow peashaped flowers.
- noun One of numerous other species of the same genus, or of some similar plants of other genera.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Bot.) A small leguminous tree (
Cytisus Laburnum ), native of the Alps. The plant is reputed to be poisonous, esp. the bark and seeds. It has handsome racemes of yellow blossoms.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Any tree of genus
Laburnum , which have bright yellow flowers and are poisonous.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun flowering shrubs or trees having bright yellow flowers; all parts of the plant are poisonous
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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Irishman dwelling with Englishmen, was directed to have a bow of his own height made of yew, wych-hazel, ash, or awburne -- that is, laburnum, which is still styled "awburne saugh," or awburne willow, in many parts of Scotland.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 13, No. 369, May 9, 1829 Various
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The windows were open, and the orioles were singing in the great elm-tree, and the laburnum was a bower of gold.
Margaret Montfort Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards 1896
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Tabex tablets contain cytosine, a substance found in the seeds of a tree called laburnum that produces yellow pea-flowers, which mimics the effect of nicotine.
The Seattle Times 2011
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The laburnum is the train, and there are the signal-boxes, and the road up to here — and those fat red daisies are us three waving to the old gentleman — that’s him, the pansy in the laburnum train.”
The Railway Children Edith 2003
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The laburnum is the train, and there are the signal-boxes, and the road up to here — and those fat red daisies are us three waving to the old gentleman — that’s him, the pansy in the laburnum train.”
The Railway Children Edith 2003
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The laburnum is the train, and there are the signal-boxes, and the road up to here -- and those fat red daisies are us three waving to the old gentleman -- that's him, the pansy in the laburnum train. "
The Railway Children 1891
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Cat pointed toward the shrubbery, the secluded stand of laburnum, Leda and her god hidden away in eternal orgasm.
Earl of Durkness Alix Rickloff 2011
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A sheltering stand of laburnum surrounding an abandoned and unappreciated statue of Leda and her swan.
Earl of Durkness Alix Rickloff 2011
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Cat pointed toward the shrubbery, the secluded stand of laburnum, Leda and her god hidden away in eternal orgasm.
Earl of Durkness Alix Rickloff 2011
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A sheltering stand of laburnum surrounding an abandoned and unappreciated statue of Leda and her swan.
Earl of Durkness Alix Rickloff 2011
knitandpurl commented on the word laburnum
"Philip straggled away to the window and looked out dismally at the soaked lawn and the dripping laburnum trees, and the row of raindrops hanging fat and full on the iron gate."
The Magic City by E. Nesbit, p 3 of the SeaStar Books paperback edition
October 28, 2010