pansy

plural pansies · alternative pancy

1. A cultivated flowering plant, derived by hybridization within species Viola tricolor.

   Oh, what a perfect thought. Lilies-of-the-valley, and white pansies, double white violets and white velvet ribbon… From an unknown friend. … From one who understands. … For a Little Girl.

   1920, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Revelations”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 271

   1 more example

   The Daughters of the Flood have ſearch'd the Mead / For Violets pale, and cropt the Poppy's Head: / The Short Narciſſus and fair Daffodil, / Pancies to pleaſe the Sight, and Caſſia ſvveet to ſmell: […]

   1697, Virgil, “The Second Pastoral. Or, Alexis.”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 6

2. A deep purple colour, like that of the pansy.
3. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Junonia.

   Synonyms: argus

4. colloquialderogatoryA timid, weak man or boy; a wuss.

   Synonyms: big girl's blouse, candy-arse, candy-ass, crybaby, milksop, milquetoast, namby, namby-pamby

5. colloquialdatedderogatoryA male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.

   Synonyms: bading, big girl's blouse, cockney, cot-quean, cupcake, dudelet, fakaleiti, fairy

1. not comparableWimpy; spineless; feeble.
2. not comparableOf a deep purple colour, like that of the pansy.

present singular third person pansies · participle present pansying · participle past pansied · past pansied

1. intransitiveslangusuallyTo mess about; to fail to get things done.

1. A female given name.