Plantagenet

English

Etymology

Originally a sobriquet of Geoffrey of Anjou (1113-1151), founder of the line, who was said to have worn a yellow broom blossom in his hat, Old French plante genest (French plante genêt), from Latin planta genista (sprig of broom), whence Medieval Latin Plantagenistae; subsequently adopted as a surname.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: plăn-tăj′ə-nĭt, plăn-tăj′nət, IPA(key): /plænˈtædʒ.ə.nɪt/, /plænˈtædʒ.(ə.)nət/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /plænˈtædʒ.ɪ.nɪt/, /planˈtadʒ.(ə.)nət/

Noun

Plantagenet (plural Plantagenets)

  1. (historical) A member of the dynasty which held the English throne from 1154 to 1485. [from 16th c.]
    • 1902, Charles Robert Ashbee, Masque of the Edwards of England, page 7:
      [] all the fine intelligence of all the Plantagenets, []
    • 2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin, published 2012, page 23:
      The last surviving Plantagenet prince descended in the male line, Edward earl of Warwick was a touchstone for Yorkist affections […] and Lincoln understood the galvanizing effect of Warwick's presence at the head of any uprising.

Proper noun

Plantagenet

  1. A community in Alfred and Plantagenet township, Ontario, Canada.
  2. A local government area in the Great Southern region, Western Australia; in full, the Shire of Plantagenet.

Derived terms

Further reading