oxlip

noun

"oxlip" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“oxlip” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A plant of species Primula elatior, similar to cowslip (Primula veris) but with larger, pale yellow flowers.

Corpus desk

Index EN-oxlip · oxlip · English

oxlip · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" 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.

Key facts for oxlip
PropertyValue
Headwordoxlip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “oxlip” in English

oxlipsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

oxlip is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A plant of species Primula elatior, similar to cowslip (Primula veris) but with larger, pale yellow flowers.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for oxlip in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English *oxeslyppe, from Old English oxanslyppe (“oxlip”), from oxan, genitive of oxa (“ox”) + slyppe (“paste, slimy substance”). Compare cowslip, of similar formation. The correct English form is oxlip, spelled O-X-L-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A plant of species Primula elatior, similar to cowslip (Primula veris) but with larger, pale yellow flowers.

Etymology

From Middle English *oxeslyppe, from Old English oxanslyppe (“oxlip”), from oxan, genitive of oxa (“ox”) + slyppe (“paste, slimy substance”). Compare cowslip, of similar formation.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "oxlip"?
"oxlip" is spelled O-X-L-I-P.
What does "oxlip" mean?
As a noun, "oxlip" means: A plant of species Primula elatior, similar to cowslip (Primula veris) but with larger, pale yellow flowers.
What is the origin of the word "oxlip"?
From Middle English *oxeslyppe, from Old English oxanslyppe (“oxlip”), from oxan, genitive of oxa (“ox”) + slyppe (“paste, slimy substance”). Compare cowslip, of similar formation. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list