Word Study
pansy
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun pansy has 3 senses
- pansy(n = noun.plant) viola tricolor hortensis - large-flowered garden plant derived chiefly from the wild pansy of Europe and having velvety petals of various colors; Array is a kind of viola
- pansy(n = noun.person) milksop, milquetoast, pantywaist, sissy - a timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive; Array is a kind of coward
- pansy(n = noun.person) fag, faggot, fagot, fairy, nance, poof, poove, pouf, queen, queer - offensive term for an openly homosexual man; Array is a kind of gay man, shirtlifter
CIDE DICTIONARY
pansy, n. [F. Pensée thought, pansy, fr. penser to think, L. pensare to weigh, ponder. See Pensive.].
A plant of the genus Viola (Viola tricolor ) and its blossom, originally purple and yellow. Cultivated varieties have very large flowers of a great diversity of colors. Called also heart's-ease , love-in-idleness , and many other quaint names. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
pansy, n. (pl. -ies)
1 any garden plant of the genus Viola, with flowers of various rich colours.
2 colloq. derog. a an effeminate man. b a male homosexual.
1 any garden plant of the genus Viola, with flowers of various rich colours.
2 colloq. derog. a an effeminate man. b a male homosexual.
Etymology
F pens{eacute}e thought, pansy f. penser think f. L pensare frequent. of pendere pens- weigh
THESAURUS
pansy
Milquetoast, auntie, baby, bi-guy, big baby, bisexual, bull dyke, butch, catamite, chicken, crybaby, doormat, dull tool, dyke, fag, faggot, fairy, femme, flit, fricatrice, fruit, gunsel, gutless wonder, homo, homophile, homosexual, homosexualist, invert, invertebrate, jellyfish, lesbian, lightweight, meek soul, milksop, mollycoddle, namby-pamby, nance, nebbish, nonentity, pantywaist, pathic, punk, pushover, queen, queer, sad sack, sapphist, sissy, softling, softy, sop, tribade, weak sister, weakling
For further exploring for "pansy" in Webster Dictionary Online
