Words at Play : 12 Words That Secretly Come from Body Parts
Definition:
: a pink, white, yellow, or red flower that has a sweet smell
About the Word:
Most people, when they think of the word carnation, draw to mind a picture of a flower. So it is slightly confusing to find that the word comes from a root meaning, quite simply, flesh (carn-). It shares its roots with such decidedly non-floral words as carnivorous, carnage, and carnal knowledge. Why is this? Because before it was used to describe a flower, carnation was used to refer to the color of certain tints of human flesh.
Example:
"Neither the fetid Rose, nor the withered Carnation, nor the dusty Nasturtium, nor the diseased-looking Pea would oblige Lady Jane's suitor." — Paul Bell, in Littell's Living Age, August 1850
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