Meanings
- UKuncountableThe invasive plant Impatiens glandulifera, native to the Himalayas.
Of the nonnative species, only the policeman's helmet (I. glandulifera) has a similar floral structure, though its flowers are normally purple to blue and occasionally white; its leaves and stems can be used similarly to our native species.
2008, Bradford Angier, Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants, Stackpole Books, →ISBNSynonyms: Himalayan balsam
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe invasive plant Impatiens glandulifera, native to the Himalayas.
Origin
From the shape of the flower.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
policeman's helmet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/policeman's%20helmet
“policeman's helmet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/policeman's%20helmet. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “policeman's helmet,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/policeman's%20helmet.
Source: policeman's helmet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.