1586: dandelion Apr 18, 2019
The word 'dandelion' today simply denotes a kind of flower, but it's name used to be a bit more complex. The word has always referred to a flower, but it used to connote a lion too. The name comes from the French 'dent-de-lion', a translation of the Latin 'dens lionis', meaning 'tooth of the lion'. The name referred to the jagged leaves, and did not relate to the mane as could be imagined.
Get more from Word Facts at patreon.com/wordfacts