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Geranium

 - 3 dictionary results

ge⋅ra⋅ni⋅um

[ji-rey-nee-uhm]
–noun
1. any of numerous plants of the genus Geranium, which comprises the crane's-bills.
2. the wild geranium, G. maculatum, of eastern North America, having loose clusters of lavender flowers.
3. Also called stork's-bill. any of various plants of the allied genus Pelargonium, native to southern Africa, having showy flowers or fragrant leaves, widely cultivated in gardens and as houseplants.
4. a flower of this plant.
5. a vivid red color.

Origin:
1540–50; < NL, for L geranion < Gk geránion name for various plants the fruit of which was thought to resemble a crane's bill, deriv. of géranos crane; akin to L grūs
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ge·ra·ni·um   (jə-rā'nē-əm)   
n.  
  1. Any of various plants of the genus Geranium, having palmately divided leaves and pink or purplish flowers. Also called cranesbill.

  2. Any of various plants of the genus Pelargonium, native chiefly to southern Africa and widely cultivated for their rounded, often variegated leaves and showy clusters of red, pink, or white flowers. Also called storksbill.

  3. A strong to vivid red.


[New Latin Geranium, genus name, from Latin geranium, crane's-bill, from Greek geranion, diminutive of geranos, crane; see gerə-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

geranium 
1548, from L. geranium, from Gk. geranion, dim. of geranos "crane" (cognate with L. grus, Eng. crane), from supposed resemblance of seed pods to cranes' bills; the native name was also cranebill.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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