Chelone
/kəˈloʊni/noun
A genus of flowering plants in the snapdragon family, native to North America.
Did you know?Chelone was also the name of a nymph in Greek myth who was turned into a turtle for mocking Zeus, so the word carries a quiet echo of divine punishment.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
χελώνη (chelṓnē)
“turtle; tortoise”
Classical Greek
Greek
Χελώνη (Khelṓnē)
“name of a mythological nymph associated with a turtle”
18th Century
New Latin
Chelone
“genus name for a plant with shell-like flowers”
Modern English
English
chelone
“a flowering plant in the genus Chelone”