Pansy
/ˈpæn.zi/noun
A garden plant with large, colorful flowers; also, a slang term for an effeminate man, now often offensive.
Did you know?Pansy was named from French pensée, meaning “thought,” because the flower’s face was imagined as a symbol of remembrance and reflection, not because of anything magical.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
pansy
“A flower name borrowed from French, originally referring to the plant now called the pansy.”
Old French
Old French
pensée
“Thought, idea, remembrance; later the name of the flower.”
Latin
Latin
pensāre
“To weigh, consider, judge carefully.”
Proto-Italic
PIE
*pend-
“To weigh.”
Modern English
English
pansy
“A cultivated flowering plant with multicolored petals; also a pejorative slang term.”
Explore more surprising origins