What is "love-in-idleness"

Pansy \Pan"sy\, n.; pl. Pansies. [F. Pens['e]e thought, pansy, fr. penser to think, L. pensare to weigh, ponder. See Pensive.] (Bot.) A plant of the genus Viola ( Viola tricolor) and its blossom, originally purple and yellow. Cultivated varieties have very large flowers of a great diversity of colors. Called also heart's-ease, love-in-idleness, and many other quaint names.

n. ''Viola tricolor'', the wild pansy.

n. a common and long cultivated European herb from which most common garden pansies are derived [syn: wild pansy, Johnny-jump-up, heartsease, pink of my John, Viola tricolor]

Love-in-idleness ( Viola tricolor) is the flower mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare that inspired romantic love. This wild pansy is known by various other names, including johnny-jump-up and heartsease. The word pansy derives from the French , meaning 'thoughts'.