[ noun ] any of various plants of the genus Scabiosa <noun.plant>
Scabious \Sca"bi*ous\, a. [L. scabiosus, from scabies the scab: cf. F. scabieux.] Consisting of scabs; rough; itchy; leprous; as, scabious eruptions. --Arbuthnot.
Scabious \Sca"bi*ous\, n. [Cf. F. scabieuse. See {Scabious}, a.] (Bot.) Any plant of the genus {Scabiosa}, several of the species of which are common in Europe. They resemble the {Composit[ae]}, and have similar heads of flowers, but the anthers are not connected.
{Sweet scabious}. (a) Mourning bride. (b) A daisylike plant ({Erigeron annuus}) having a stout branching stem.