Meanings
plural buttercups
- Any of many herbs, of the genus Ranunculus, having yellow flowers; the crowfoot.
Synonyms: butterflower, crowfoot, goldballs, goldcup, gold-knop, ranunculus
- abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of buttercup squash.
- An affectionate or ironic term of address.
When she touched my hand, what a chill I got Her lips are like a volcano that's hot I'm proud to say that she's my buttercup. I'm in love - I'm all shook up.
1957, “All Shook Up”, Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley (lyrics), performed by Elvis Presley1 more example
Listen, buttercup, you're damned good in bed. They don't come any better, but I'm really not interested in playing second fiddle to your camera or your young lovers.
1987, Joyce Brandon, Lady and the Lawman, page 346
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of many herbs, of the genus Ranunculus, having yellow flowers; the crowfoot.
More synonyms by meaning
nounany of various plants of the genus Ranunculus
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From butter + cup. Both sense 1 and 2 are from the flowers' association with butter, from their yellow colour. Compare butterflower for a similar derivation; outside of English, compare Dutch boterbloem, German Butterblume.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek βατράχιον
- βατράχιον (batrákhion)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Arabic حَوْذَان
- حَوْذَان (ḥawḏān)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Bulgarian лютиче
- лютиче (ljutiče)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Catalan ranuncle
- ranuncleherb of the genus Ranunculus
Chinese Mandarin 毛茛, 金鳳花 /金凤花
- 毛茛 (máogèn)herb of the genus Ranunculus
- 金鳳花 /金凤花 (jīnfènghuā)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Czech pryskyřník
- pryskyřníkherb of the genus Ranunculus
Dutch boterbloem
- boterbloemherb of the genus Ranunculus
Esperanto ranunkolo
- ranunkoloherb of the genus Ranunculus
Finnish leinikki
- leinikkiherb of the genus Ranunculus
French bouton-d'or, renoncule
- bouton-d'orherb of the genus Ranunculus
- renonculeherb of the genus Ranunculus
- grenouilletteherb of the genus Ranunculus
- fleur de l'impatienceherb of the genus Ranunculus
- gobet du diableherb of the genus Ranunculus
German Hahnenfuß, Butterblume
- Hahnenfußherb of the genus Ranunculus
- Butterblumeherb of the genus Ranunculus
Greek νεραγκούλα, ρεναγκούλα
- νεραγκούλα (neragkoúla)herb of the genus Ranunculus
- ρεναγκούλα (renagkoúla)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Hebrew נורית
- נורית (nurít)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Hungarian boglárka
- boglárkaherb of the genus Ranunculus
Icelandic sóley
- sóleyherb of the genus Ranunculus
Irish crobh préacháin, fearbán
- crobh préacháinherb of the genus Ranunculus
- fearbánherb of the genus Ranunculus
Italian ranuncolo
- ranuncoloherb of the genus Ranunculus
Japanese キンポウゲ, 金鳳花
- キンポウゲ (kinpōge)herb of the genus Ranunculus
- 金鳳花 (kinpōge)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Korean 미나리아재비
- 미나리아재비 (minariajaebi)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Latin rānunculus, gallīcrūs
- rānunculusherb of the genus Ranunculus
- gallīcrūsherb of the genus Ranunculus
Lithuanian vėdrynas
- vėdrynasherb of the genus Ranunculus
Māori korikori, mārūrū
- korikoriherb of the genus Ranunculus
- mārūrūherb of the genus Ranunculus
- kōpukapukaherb of the genus Ranunculus
- waorikiherb of the genus Ranunculus
- raorikiherb of the genus Ranunculus
- kōpukupukuherb of the genus Ranunculus
- kawarikiherb of the genus Ranunculus
Persian آلاله
- آلاله (âlâle)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Polish jaskier
- jaskierherb of the genus Ranunculus
Portuguese ranúnculo
- ranúnculoherb of the genus Ranunculus
Romanian piciorul-cocoșului, gălbenea
- piciorul-cocoșuluiherb of the genus Ranunculus
- gălbeneaherb of the genus Ranunculus
Russian лю́тик
- лю́тик (ljútik)herb of the genus Ranunculus
Scottish Gaelic cearban, buidheag-an-t-samhraidh
- cearbanherb of the genus Ranunculus
- buidheag-an-t-samhraidhherb of the genus Ranunculus
Slovak iskerník
- iskerníkherb of the genus Ranunculus
Spanish ranúnculo
- ranúnculoherb of the genus Ranunculus
Swedish smörblomma
- smörblommaherb of the genus Ranunculus
Turkish düğün çiçeği, turnaayağı
- düğün çiçeğiherb of the genus Ranunculus
- turnaayağıherb of the genus Ranunculus
- sütlüceherb of the genus Ranunculus
Welsh blodyn menyn, crafanc y frân
- blodyn menynherb of the genus Ranunculus
- crafanc y frânherb of the genus Ranunculus
Cite this entry
buttercup. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/buttercup
“buttercup.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/buttercup. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “buttercup,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/buttercup.
Source: buttercup on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.