A common wild yellow wildflower with shiny petals, or the plant that produces these flowers.
Compound word from 'butter' and 'cup,' named for the flower's bright yellow color resembling butter and its cup-like shape. The name dates back to at least the 1500s and reflects how people named plants based on their appearance.
The shiny appearance of buttercup petals isn't from pigment—it's from a special layer of cells that reflects light like a tiny mirror, which is why they glow so brilliantly and also why holding one under your chin supposedly shows if you like butter!
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