PANSY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does pansy mean? 

• PANSY (noun)
  The noun PANSY has 3 senses:

1. large-flowered garden plant derived chiefly from the wild pansy of Europe and having velvety petals of various colors

2. a timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive

3. offensive term for a homosexual man

  Familiarity information: PANSY used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PANSY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Large-flowered garden plant derived chiefly from the wild pansy of Europe and having velvety petals of various colors

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

pansy; Viola tricolor hortensis

Hypernyms ("pansy" is a kind of...):

viola (any of the numerous plants of the genus Viola)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

milksop; Milquetoast; pansy; pantywaist; sissy

Hypernyms ("pansy" is a kind of...):

coward (a person who shows fear or timidity)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Offensive term for a homosexual man

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

fag; faggot; fagot; fairy; nance; pansy; poof; poove; pouf; queen; queer

Hypernyms ("pansy" is a kind of...):

gay; homo; homophile; homosexual (someone who is sexually attracted to persons of the same sex)

Domain usage:

depreciation; derogation; disparagement (a communication that belittles somebody or something)

 Context examples 

Flowers peeped out amongst the leaves; snow-drops, crocuses, purple auriculas, and golden-eyed pansies.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

A cluster of grave yet cheerful pansies on a deeper purple ground was pronounced very appropriate and pretty, and Beth worked away early and late, with occasional lifts over hard parts.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Beth had old-fashioned fragrant flowers in her garden, sweet peas and mignonette, larkspur, pinks, pansies, and southernwood, with chickweed for the birds and catnip for the pussies.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He strayed down a walk edged with box, with apple trees, pear trees, and cherry trees on one side, and a border on the other full of all sorts of old-fashioned flowers, stocks, sweet-williams, primroses, pansies, mingled with southernwood, sweet-briar, and various fragrant herbs.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Mrs. March glanced at Meg, who was looking very pretty in her gingham morning gown, with the little curls blowing about her forehead, and very womanly, as she sat sewing at her little worktable, full of tidy white rolls, so unconscious of the thought in her mother's mind as she sewed and sang, while her fingers flew and her thoughts were busied with girlish fancies as innocent and fresh as the pansies in her belt, that Mrs. March smiled and was satisfied.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)