: any of a genus (Trillium) of herbs of the lily family with an erect stem bearing a whorl of three leaves and a solitary typically spring-blooming flower
Illustration of trillium
Examples of trillium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebIn spring, wildflowers, like phlox, buttercups, and trillium, come into full bloom and line the hiking trails.—Erin Gifford, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 May 2023 Overlapping state and national parks replete with coastal redwood and sequoia offer more than 38,000 acres of old growth that act as a haven for myriad wildflowers, including trillium, Douglas iris, leopard, Mariposa, and alpine lilies, snowflowers, and spotted coralroot.—Krista Simmons and J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Notable blooms include the spring ephemerals — trillium, lady slipper orchids, crested dwarf iris, columbine, bleeding heart, and violets, to name a few — and the summer arrival of red cardinal flowers, purple-fringed orchids, and black-eyed Susans.—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 Campbell understands rural Michigan down to its trillium roots.—Yvonne Zipp, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for trillium
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trillium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Swedish trilling triplet; from its three leaves
: any of a genus of herbs related to the lilies that have three large leaves arranged around the upright stem at the same level and a single flower with three petals at the end of the stem
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