Meanings
plural shamrocks
- The trefoil leaf of any small clover, especially Trifolium repens, or such a leaf from a clover-like plant, commonly used as a symbol of Ireland.
She wore a shamrock in honor of her Irish ancestry.
Synonyms: trefoil
- Any of several species of small clover-like plant species, with trefoil leaves, especially Trifolium repens.
The fields were covered with shamrocks.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe trefoil leaf of any small clover, especially Trifolium repens, or such a leaf from a clover-like plant, commonly used as a symbol of Ireland.
nounAny of several species of small clover-like plant species, with trefoil leaves, especially Trifolium repens.
More synonyms by meaning
nouncreeping European clover having white to pink flowers and bright green leaves; naturalized in United States; widely grown for forage
nounEurasian plant with heart-shaped trifoliate leaves and white purple-veined flowers
nounclover native to Ireland with yellowish flowers; often considered the true or original shamrock
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*semh₁r-
- Proto-Celtic*semarā
- Old Irishsemróc
- Irishseamróg
- Englishshamrock
From Irish seamróg, from Old Irish semróc, diminutive of semar, semair (“clover”), from Proto-Celtic *semarā, *semaris (compare Gaulish uisumaris (“clover”)), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *semh₁r-, *smeh₁r-. Related to Old Norse smári (“clover”) and possibly Georgian სამყურა (samq̇ura, “clover”).
More words from Irish, Old Irish, Proto-Celtic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan trèvol
- trèvoltrefoil leaf of any clover
Czech trojlístek
- trojlístektrefoil leaf of any clover
Danish trekløver, kløverblad
- trekløvertrefoil leaf of any clover
- kløverbladtrefoil leaf of any clover
Dutch klaverblad
- klaverbladtrefoil leaf of any clover
Finnish kolmiapila
- kolmiapilatrefoil leaf of any clover
French trèfle
- trèfletrefoil leaf of any clover
German Kleeblatt
- Kleeblatttrefoil leaf of any clover
Greek τριφύλλι
- τριφύλλι (trifýlli)trefoil leaf of any clover
Hungarian lóhere
- lóheretrefoil leaf of any clover
Icelandic músasmári
- músasmáritrefoil leaf of any clover
Irish seamróg
- seamrógtrefoil leaf of any clover
Italian trifoglio
- trifogliotrefoil leaf of any clover
Japanese シャムロック
- シャムロック (shamurokku)trefoil leaf of any clover
Māori koroua, korouwa
- korouatrefoil leaf of any clover
- korouwatrefoil leaf of any clover
- raukoroatrefoil leaf of any clover
Persian سمن
- سمن (saman)trefoil leaf of any clover
Polish koniczyna, dzięcielina
- koniczynatrefoil leaf of any clover
- dzięcielinatrefoil leaf of any clover
Portuguese trevo
- trevotrefoil leaf of any clover
Romanian trifoi
- trifoitrefoil leaf of any clover
Russian трилистник
- трилистник (trilistnik)trefoil leaf of any clover
Scottish Gaelic seamrag
- seamragtrefoil leaf of any clover
Slovak trojlístok
- trojlístoktrefoil leaf of any clover
Spanish trébol
- tréboltrefoil leaf of any clover
Swedish treklöver
- treklövertrefoil leaf of any clover
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with shamrock
All rhymes →Cite this entry
shamrock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shamrock
“shamrock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shamrock. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shamrock,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shamrock.
Source: shamrock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.