[uh-zeyl-yuh] 
| any of numerous shrubs belonging to a particular group (Azalea) of the genus Rhododendron, of the heath family, comprising species with handsome flower clusters of various colors, some of which are familiar in cultivation: the group was formerly the botanical genus Azalea but is now a horticultural classification. |
| a·zal·ea (ə-zāl'yə) n. Any of various shrubs of the genus Rhododendron having showy, variously colored flowers. [Greek azaleā, from feminine of azaleos, dry (so called because it grows in dry soil or from the texture of its wood); see as- in Indo-European roots.] |
