arabis

[ ar-uh-bis ]
/ ˈær ə bɪs /

noun

any plant of the genus Arabis, including the rock cresses.

Origin of arabis

1570–80; < New Latin < Greek árabis (stem arabid-) Arabian mustard (derivative with arab-, as in Arabía Arabia, Áraps Arab, etc.); probably applied to the plant because it grows in rocky or sandy soil

Words nearby arabis

arabica bean, arabica coffee, arabicize, arabinose, arabinoside, arabis, arabist, arabize, arable, araby, aracaju

Definition for arabises (2 of 2)

Arabize
[ ar-uh-bahyz ]
/ ˈær əˌbaɪz /

verb (used with or without object), Ar·ab·ized, Ar·ab·iz·ing.

to place or come under Arab influence or domination: Middle Eastern countries began to Arabize their oil industries.
Also especially British, Ar·ab·ise.

Origin of Arabize

First recorded in 1880–85; Arab + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM Arabize

Ar·ab·i·za·tion, noun

Example sentences from the Web for arabises

  • With them may be associated Cardamine trifolia and Thlaspi latifolium, which resemble the Arabises in habit and flowers.

    The Wild Garden |William Robinson

British Dictionary definitions for arabises

arabis
/ (ˈærəbɪs) /

noun

any plant of the annual or perennial genus Arabis, some of which form low-growing mats with downy grey foliage and white flowers: family Brassicaceae (crucifers) Also called: rock cress

Word Origin for arabis

New Latin, from Greek arabis (fem) of Arabia