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Definition of abelia
abelia
/əˈbiː.li.ə/
a · be · li · a
Plural:abelias
abelia Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A shrub of the honeysuckle family, native primarily to eastern Asia and Mexico, widely cultivated in landscaping for its arching branches and clusters of fragrant, tubular pink or white flowers.
Example
"We planted a row of glossy abelias along the garden fence to attract butterflies and bees throughout the summer."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for abelia• Rhymes for abelia
Word Origin & Etymology
Modern Latin, named after Dr. Clarke Abel (1780–1826), a British physician and naturalist who collected specimens in China, combined with the standard botanical suffix '-ia'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Abelia. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/abelia