Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Ranunculus
Ra-nun′cu-lus
(rȧ-nŭṉ′kū̍-lŭs)
, Noun.
pl. E.
Ranunculuses
(rȧ-nŭṉ′kū̍-lŭs-ĕz)
, L. Ranunculi
(-lī)
. [L., a little frog, a medicinal plant, perhaps crowfoot, dim. of
rana
a frog; cf. raccare
to roar.] (Bot.)
A genus of herbs, mostly with yellow flowers, including crowfoot, buttercups, and the cultivated ranunculi (
Ranunculus Asiaticus
, Ranunculus aconitifolius
, etc.) in which the flowers are double and of various colors. Webster 1828 Edition
Ranunculus
RANUN'CULUS
,Noun.
In botany, crowfoot, a genus of plants of many species, some of them beautiful flowering plants, particularly the Asiatic, or Turkey and Persian ranunculus, which is diversified with many rich colors.