oleander

[ oh-lee-an-der, oh-lee-an- ]
/ ˈoʊ liˌæn dər, ˌoʊ liˈæn- /

noun

a poisonous shrub, Nerium oleander, of the dogbane family, native to southern Eurasia, having evergreen leaves and showy clusters of pink, red, or white flowers, and widely cultivated as an ornamental.

Origin of oleander

1540–50; < Medieval Latin oleander, oliandrum, obscurely akin to Late Latin laurandrum, perhaps a conflation of Latin laurus laurel and rhododendron rhododendron

Words nearby oleander

ole-, olea, oleaceous, oleaginous, olean, oleander, olearia, oleaster, oleate, olecranon, oled

Example sentences from the Web for oleander

British Dictionary definitions for oleander

oleander
/ (ˌəʊlɪˈændə) /

noun

a poisonous evergreen Mediterranean apocynaceous shrub or tree, Nerium oleander, with fragrant white, pink, or purple flowers Also called: rosebay

Word Origin for oleander

C16: from Medieval Latin, variant of arodandrum, perhaps from Latin rhododendron