1. a wild plant that grows naturally in grass, producing a flower head with white o
1.nounA2
Definition
a wild plant that grows naturally in grass, producing a flower head with white outer petals surrounding a round yellow centre; commonly seen in lawns and fields, with some taller types bearing larger blooms.
Example
Sivan picked a handful of daisies from the meadow and placed them in a jar.
collocation: pick daisies / a handful of daisies
Small white daisies covered the lawn after the first spring rain.
The children sat on the grass and wove daisies into a long, pretty chain.
common activity: making daisy chains
Iris pressed a dried daisy between the pages of her favourite poetry book.
A single daisy pushed up through a crack in the old concrete path.
A daisy is a specific type of wildflower, so 'wildflower' is a much broader term that includes daisies along with hundreds of other flowers that grow naturally. 'Dandelion' is another common wildflower found in grass, but it has a single bright yellow flower head and jagged leaves, unlike the white-petalled daisy. 'Marguerite' refers to a larger cultivated daisy with more petals, often found in gardens rather than wild meadows. If you are describing a flower you saw in a park, 'daisy' is the natural choice for the small white-and-yellow flower; use 'wildflower' only when you do not know or need to specify the exact kind.
The word 'daisy' comes from Old English 'dæges ēage,' which literally means 'day's eye.' The flower was given this name because its petals open at dawn and close at dusk, like an eye opening and closing with the daylight.