flowerpot

IPA/ˈflaʊəpɒt/
KK[flˈaʊɚpˌɑt]IPA/ˈflaʊərpɑːt/

flowerpot — noun

  • flowerpotsingular
  • flowerpotsplural

1. a pot used for growing a plant, often kept on a shelf, windowsill, or patio

1.nounA2
Definition

a pot used for growing a plant, often kept on a shelf, windowsill, or patio

Example

Mira set the flowerpot on the kitchen windowsill so the basil could get more sun.

place + flowerpot: on the windowsill

After art class, Vikram painted small blue stars around the flowerpot for his cactus.

collocation: paint a flowerpot

Common collocations
  • clay flowerpot
  • plastic flowerpot
  • paint a flowerpot
  • move a flowerpot indoors
  • soil in the flowerpot
Synonyms
  • plant pot

    very close in meaning and often interchangeable, especially in everyday speech

  • planter

    usually suggests a larger decorative container, often for several plants

  • pot

    broader word that can mean many kinds of containers, not only one for plants

Grammar Patterns

a flowerpot

the flowerpot

in a flowerpot

into a flowerpot

Usage Note

Often used for a single plant kept inside the home or just outside it. For a larger outdoor container that holds several plants, English often uses planter instead.

Common Mistakes

The flowers grew in a vase on the balcony.
The flowers grew in a flowerpot on the balcony.
a vase is mainly for cut flowers, while a flowerpot holds a plant growing in soil.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Flowerpot and plant pot usually mean the same thing: a container with soil for one growing plant. Flowerpot sounds a little more specific because it clearly points to plants and flowers, while plant pot is a plain everyday alternative. Planter often suggests something larger or more decorative, such as a long box outside a cafe or a wide container holding several plants together. Pot is the broadest word. In a garden shop, pot may mean a flowerpot, but in other situations it can mean a cooking pot or another kind of container. You can buy a small flowerpot for a cactus, but a restaurant might place herbs in a large planter by the door.

plant pot ↗planterpot ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • clay flowerpot
  • plastic flowerpot
  • flowerpot stand
  • flowerpot saucer
  • flowerpot soil

Phrases

  • put a plant in a flowerpot
  • move a flowerpot indoors
  • knock over a flowerpot
  • paint a flowerpot

Prepositions

  • in a flowerpot
  • into a flowerpot
  • from a flowerpot
  • out of a flowerpot

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchOld EnglishEnglish

Flowerpot is a transparent English compound made from flower and pot. Flower came into English through Old French from Latin, while pot comes from Old English. The combined word simply names a pot for keeping a growing plant in soil.