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n. pl. cro·cus·es or cro·ci (-sī, -kī) 1. a. Any of various perennial Eurasian herbs of the genus Crocus, having grasslike leaves and showy, variously colored flowers. b. Any of several other plants, such as the autumn crocus. 2. A grayish to light reddish purple. 3. A dark red powdered variety of iron oxide, Fe2O3, used as an abrasive for polishing. 4. A coarse, loosely woven material like burlap, once used to make sacks for shipping saffron. See Note at gunnysack. [Middle English, saffron, from Old French, from Latin, from Greek krokos; perhaps from a source akin to Arabic kurkum, saffron.]  (click for a larger image) crocus |
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