Star of Bethlehem
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A bulbous plant of the lily family (Ornithogallum umbellatutri), with star-shaped t white flowers. The French peasants call it La dame d'onze heures, because it opens at eleven o'clock.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Star of Bethlehem” mean?
A bulbous plant of the lily family (Ornithogallum umbellatutri), with star-shaped t white flowers. The French peasants call it La dame d'onze heures, because it opens at eleven o'clock.
Is “Star of Bethlehem” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.