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gardenia

 - 3 dictionary results

gar⋅de⋅nia

[gahr-dee-nyuh, -nee-uh]
–noun
1. any evergreen tree or shrub belonging to the genus Gardenia, of the madder family, native to the warmer parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, cultivated for its usually large, fragrant white flowers.
2. the flower of any of these plants.

Origin:
< NL (1760), after Alexander Garden (1730–91), American physician; see -ia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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gar·de·nia   (gär-dēn'yə)   
n.   In both senses also called Cape jasmine.
  1. Any of various shrubs and trees of the Old World tropics that belong to the genus Gardenia, especially G. jasminoides native to China, having glossy evergreen leaves and large, fragrant, usually white flowers.

  2. The flower of this plant.


[New Latin Gardenia, genus name, after Alexander Garden.]
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

gardenia 
1757, Mod.L., named for naturalist Dr. Alexander Garden (1730-91), Vice President of the Royal Society.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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