Silene \Si*le"ne\, n. [NL., fr. L. Silenus, the attendant of Bacchus.] (Bot.) A genus of caryophyllaceous plants, usually covered with a viscid secretion by which insects are caught; catchfly. [1913 Webster] {Bon Sil[`e]ne}. See {Sil[`e]ne}, in the Vocabulary. [1913 Webster]