wars of the roses

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
Wars of the Roses
    n 1: struggle for the English throne (1455-1485) between the
         house of York (white rose) and the house of Lancaster (red
         rose) ending with the accession of the Tudor monarch Henry
         VII [syn: {War of the Roses}, {Wars of the Roses}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Rose \Rose\, n. [AS. rose, L. rosa, probably akin to Gr. ?,
   Armor. vard, OPer. vareda; and perhaps to E. wort: cf. F.
   rose, from the Latin. Cf. {Copperas}, {Rhododendron}.]
   1. A flower and shrub of any species of the genus {Rosa}, of
      which there are many species, mostly found in the morthern
      hemispere
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: Roses are shrubs with pinnate leaves and usually
         prickly stems. The flowers are large, and in the wild
         state have five petals of a color varying from deep
         pink to white, or sometimes yellow. By cultivation and
         hybridizing the number of petals is greatly increased
         and the natural perfume enhanced. In this way many
         distinct classes of roses have been formed, as the
         Banksia, Baurbon, Boursalt, China, Noisette, hybrid
         perpetual, etc., with multitudes of varieties in nearly
         every class.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. A knot of ribbon formed like a rose; a rose knot; a
      rosette, esp. one worn on a shoe. --Sha.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Arch.) A rose window. See {Rose window}, below.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. A perforated nozzle, as of a pipe, spout, etc., for
      delivering water in fine jets; a rosehead; also, a
      strainer at the foot of a pump.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. (Med.) The erysipelas. --Dunglison.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. The card of the mariner's compass; also, a circular card
      with radiating lines, used in other instruments.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. The color of a rose; rose-red; pink.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. A diamond. See {Rose diamond}, below.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Cabbage rose}, {China rose}, etc. See under {Cabbage},
      {China}, etc.

   {Corn rose} (Bot.) See {Corn poppy}, under {Corn}.

   {Infantile rose} (Med.), a variety of roseola.

   {Jamaica rose}. (Bot.) See under {Jamaica}.

   {Rose acacia} (Bot.), a low American leguminous shrub
      ({Robinia hispida}) with handsome clusters of rose-colored
      blossoms.

   {Rose aniline}. (Chem.) Same as {Rosaniline}.

   {Rose apple} (Bot.), the fruit of the tropical myrtaceous
      tree {Eugenia Jambos}. It is an edible berry an inch or
      more in diameter, and is said to have a very strong
      roselike perfume.

   {Rose beetle}. (Zool.)
      (a) A small yellowish or buff longlegged beetle
          ({Macrodactylus subspinosus}), which eats the leaves
          of various plants, and is often very injurious to
          rosebushes, apple trees, grapevines, etc. Called also
          {rose bug}, and {rose chafer}.
      (b) The European chafer.

   {Rose bug}. (Zool.) same as {Rose beetle}, {Rose chafer}.

   {Rose burner}, a kind of gas-burner producing a rose-shaped
      flame.

   {Rose camphor} (Chem.), a solid odorless substance which
      separates from rose oil.

   {Rose campion}. (Bot.) See under {Campion}.

   {Rose catarrh} (Med.), rose cold.

   {Rose chafer}. (Zool.)
      (a) A common European beetle ({Cetonia aurata}) which is
          often very injurious to rosebushes; -- called also
          {rose beetle}, and {rose fly}.
      (b) The rose beetle
      (a) .

   {Rose cold} (Med.), a variety of hay fever, sometimes
      attributed to the inhalation of the effluvia of roses. See
      {Hay fever}, under {Hay}.

   {Rose color}, the color of a rose; pink; hence, a beautiful
      hue or appearance; fancied beauty, attractiveness, or
      promise.

   {Rose de Pompadour}, {Rose du Barry}, names succesively given
      to a delicate rose color used on S[`e]vres porcelain.

   {Rose diamond}, a diamond, one side of which is flat, and the
      other cut into twenty-four triangular facets in two ranges
      which form a convex face pointed at the top. Cf.
      {Brilliant}, n.

   {Rose ear}. See under {Ear}.

   {Rose elder} (Bot.), the Guelder-rose.

   {Rose engine}, a machine, or an appendage to a turning lathe,
      by which a surface or wood, metal, etc., is engraved with
      a variety of curved lines. --Craig.

   {Rose family} (Bot.) the {Roseceae}. See {Rosaceous}.

   {Rose fever} (Med.), rose cold.

   {Rose fly} (Zool.), a rose betle, or rose chafer.

   {Rose gall} (Zool.), any gall found on rosebushes. See
      {Bedeguar}.

   {Rose knot}, a ribbon, or other pliade band plaited so as to
      resemble a rose; a rosette.

   {Rose lake}, {Rose madder}, a rich tint prepared from lac and
      madder precipitated on an earthy basis. --Fairholt.

   {Rose mallow}. (Bot.)
      (a) A name of several malvaceous plants of the genus
          {Hibiscus}, with large rose-colored flowers.
      (b) the hollyhock.

   {Rose nail}, a nail with a convex, faceted head.

   {Rose noble}, an ancient English gold coin, stamped with the
      figure of a rose, first struck in the reign of Edward
      III., and current at 6s. 8d. --Sir W. Scott.

   {Rose of China}. (Bot.) See {China rose}
      (b), under {China}.

   {Rose of Jericho} (Bot.), a Syrian cruciferous plant
      ({Anastatica Hierochuntica}) which rolls up when dry, and
      expands again when moistened; -- called also {resurrection
      plant}.

   {Rose of Sharon} (Bot.), an ornamental malvaceous shrub
      ({Hibiscus Syriacus}). In the Bible the name is used for
      some flower not yet identified, perhaps a Narcissus, or
      possibly the great lotus flower.

   {Rose oil} (Chem.), the yellow essential oil extracted from
      various species of rose blossoms, and forming the chief
      part of attar of roses.

   {Rose pink}, a pigment of a rose color, made by dyeing chalk
      or whiting with a decoction of Brazil wood and alum; also,
      the color of the pigment.

   {Rose quartz} (Min.), a variety of quartz which is rose-red.
      

   {Rose rash}. (Med.) Same as {Roseola}.

   {Rose slug} (Zool.), the small green larva of a black sawfly
      ({Selandria rosae}). These larvae feed in groups on the
      parenchyma of the leaves of rosebushes, and are often
      abundant and very destructive.

   {Rose window} (Arch.), a circular window filled with
      ornamental tracery. Called also {Catherine wheel}, and
      {marigold window}. Cf. {wheel window}, under {Wheel}.

   {Summer rose} (Med.), a variety of roseola. See {Roseola}.

   {Under the rose} [a translation of L. sub rosa], in secret;
      privately; in a manner that forbids disclosure; -- the
      rose being among the ancients the symbol of secrecy, and
      hung up at entertainments as a token that nothing there
      said was to be divulged.

   {Wars of the Roses} (Eng. Hist.), feuds between the Houses of
      York and Lancaster, the white rose being the badge of the
      House of York, and the red rose of the House of Lancaster.
      [1913 Webster]
    

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