deflower

C2 Topic:Register & Style

US /diˈflaʊ.ɚ/ UK /dɪˈflaʊ.ə/ See IPA manual

Freq #61516

Meanings

1

verb
dated: to have sexual intercourse with a person regarded as a virgin, framed as taking that person's virginity

The historian notes that older writers used deflower to describe sex through a possessive and gendered idea of virginity.
2

verb
rare and literal: to remove the flowers or petals from a plant

The storm deflowered the roses before the garden show.
3

verb
figurative: to spoil, violate, or deprive something of beauty or freshness

The critic claimed that careless restoration had deflowered the painting.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · dated: to have sexual... take the virginity of

2 verb · rare and literal: to remove... strip of flowers

3 verb · figurative: to spoil,... despoil spoil violate

Opposites

preserve restore

Word family

Forms deflowered

Derived forms deflorationdeflowererundeflowered

Related forms flowervirginitydated language

Etymology

From Middle English deflouren and Old French desflorer, from Late Latin deflorare, combining de-, 'away,' with flos, floris, 'flower.' Removing a flower became a metaphor for taking virginity and, more broadly, for spoiling beauty or freshness; the sexual framing is now dated and gendered.

Topics

Register & Style

External links

# deflower

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /diˈflaʊ.ɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈflaʊ.ə/
**Frequency rank:** 61516

## Meanings
1. dated: to have sexual intercourse with a person regarded as a virgin, framed as taking that person's virginity
2. rare and literal: to remove the flowers or petals from a plant
3. figurative: to spoil, violate, or deprive something of beauty or freshness

## Examples
- The historian notes that older writers used deflower to describe sex through a possessive and gendered idea of virginity.
- The storm deflowered the roses before the garden show.
- The critic claimed that careless restoration had deflowered the painting.

## Synonyms
- despoil
- spoil
- strip of flowers

## Antonyms
- preserve
- restore

## Derived Forms
- defloration
- deflowerer
- undeflowered

## Related Forms
- flower
- virginity
- dated language

## Etymology
From Middle English deflouren and Old French desflorer, from Late Latin deflorare, combining de-, 'away,' with flos, floris, 'flower.' Removing a flower became a metaphor for taking virginity and, more broadly, for spoiling beauty or freshness; the sexual framing is now dated and gendered.

## Topics
- Register & Style

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