cowslip
/ˈkaʊ.slɪp/
"cowslip" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cowslip” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A low-growing plant, Primula veris, with yellow flowers.
Corpus desk
Index EN-cowslip · cowslip · English
cowslip · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cowslip |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkaʊ.slɪp/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “cowslip” in English
Rare enough to double-check
cowslip is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkaʊ.slɪp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for cowslip in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cowslyppe, from Old English cūslyppe (“cowslip”), from cū (“cow”) + slyppe (“paste, viscid substance”), related to Old English slūpan (“to slip, glide, move softly”). Compare oxlip. The correct English form is cowslip, spelled C-O-W-S-L-I-P.
Definition
- 1A low-growing plant, Primula veris, with yellow flowers.
- 2Any of several other plants related or similar in appearance
- 3Any of several other plants related or similar in appearance
- 4Any of several other plants related or similar in appearance
- 5Any of several other plants related or similar in appearance
- 6Any of several other plants related or similar in appearance
- 7Ellipsis of cowslip tea: a kind of green tea; an herbal tea made with cowslip flowers.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how cowslip appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Where the bee sucks, there suck I: / In a cowslip's bell I lie;
Here is spring were celandine, marsh marigold, wind-flower, primrose, cowslip and dog's violet.
Etymology
From Middle English cowslyppe, from Old English cūslyppe (“cowslip”), from cū (“cow”) + slyppe (“paste, viscid substance”), related to Old English slūpan (“to slip, glide, move softly”). Compare oxlip.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.