[Gr. prop. name; ad. Phœn. adōn lord; title of a Phœnician divinity; in Heb. a name of God.]
1. In Greek Mythology, a youth beloved by Venus for his beauty: hence ironically, a beau or dandy.
1765. Tucker, Lt. Nat., I. 457. Two such Adonises talking so sweetly of our reciprocal passion!
† 2. A particular kind of wig. Obs.
1760. H. Walpole quoted, in Blackw. Mag., III. 167. He had a dark brown adonis and a cloak of black cloth.
1775. Graves, Spir. Quix., III. xix. (D.). A fine flowing adonis or white perwig.
3. A genus of plants, N.O. Ranunculaceæ, of which the common species is called Pheasant’s Eye.
1597. Gerarde, Herball, lxxiv. § 2. 310. The red flower of Adonis groweth wilde in the west parts of Englande among their corne.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, II. iii. 358. Fennel-leav’d perennial Adonis.
1861. Pratt, Flower. Plants, I. 14. Adonis (Pheasants’ eye) … Name from ‘Adonis’ … whose blood was fabled to have stained the flower.
4. A species of butterfly (Polyommatus Adonis), also known as the Mazarine or Clifton Blue.
