shamrock

Everyday

1. A shamrock is a small green plant with three round leaves on each stem, like clover. tree →
2. The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland, worn on Saint Patrick's Day. tree →

In the lessons

In Irish life and church, the story says Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity: three leaves but one plant, as Christians believe in three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — in one God. On Saint Patrick's Day, people around the world wear shamrocks and green. In nature lessons it is a kind of clover. Phrases: "a sprig of shamrock", "wear the shamrock".

Examples

• On Saint Patrick's Day, Granny pinned a shamrock to my coat. tree →
• A shamrock has three leaves. tree →
• (church) Saint Patrick used the shamrock to teach about the Trinity. tree →
• The Irish rugby team has a shamrock on its shirts. tree →
• We drew shamrocks on cards for our pen pals in Ireland. tree →
• Four-leaf clovers are rare; a shamrock has only three leaves. tree →
• He plucked the shamrocks and put them in his pocket. tree →

Note

Countable: a shamrock, shamrocks, though people also say "a bunch of shamrock". It is not the same as a "four-leaf clover", which is a lucky rarity; the shamrock has three leaves. The word comes from the Irish "seamróg", meaning little clover.