bougainvillea
[ boo-guh n-vil-ee-uh, -vil-yuh, boh- ]
/ ˌbu gənˈvɪl i ə, -ˈvɪl yə, ˌboʊ- /
noun
any of several shrubs or vines of the genus Bougainvillea, native to South America, having small flowers with showy, variously colored bracts, and often cultivated in warm regions.
Origin of bougainvillea
1789; < New Latin, named after L. A. de
Bougainville
Words nearby bougainvillea
boudoir,
boudoir grand,
bouffant,
bouffe,
bougainville,
bougainvillea,
bough,
boughed,
boughpot,
bought,
boughten
Example sentences from the Web for bougainvillea
British Dictionary definitions for bougainvillea
bougainvillea
bougainvillaea
/ (ˌbuːɡənˈvɪlɪə) /
noun
any tropical woody nyctaginaceous widely cultivated climbing plant of the genus Bougainvillea, having inconspicuous flowers surrounded by showy red or purple bracts
Word Origin for bougainvillea
C19: New Latin, named after Louis Antoine de
Bougainville (1729–1811), French navigator