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Definition of alcea
alcea
/ælˈsiː.ə/
al · ce · a
Plural:alceas
alcea Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A genus of roughly 60 species of flowering plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to Asia and Europe, commonly known as hollyhocks.
Example
"The gardener cultivated several colorful varieties of alcea along the southern wall to serve as a towering floral backdrop."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for alcea• Rhymes for alcea
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Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'alcea', derived from Ancient Greek 'alkea' (a kind of mallow), which is rooted in 'alkē' meaning 'strength' or 'protection', referring to the plant's traditional medicinal properties.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Alcea. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 11, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/alcea