Dictionary
scarlet pimpernel
noun
Definition of SCARLET PIMPERNEL
1
: a European pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) naturalized in North America and having scarlet, white, or purplish flowers that close in cloudy weather
2
[Scarlet Pimpernel, assumed name of the hero of The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905), novel by Baroness Orczy] : a person who rescues others from mortal danger by smuggling them across a border
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First Known Use of SCARLET PIMPERNEL
1835
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