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Definition of camassia
camassia
/kəˈmæs.i.ə/
ca · mas · si · a
Plural:camassias
camassia Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
North American A genus of spring-flowering plants in the asparagus family, native to western North America, characterized by tall spikes of star-shaped blue, purple, or white flowers and historically cultivated for their edible bulbs.
Example
"The meadow was painted in vibrant shades of blue as the camassia began to bloom in late spring."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for camassia• Rhymes for camassia
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Modern Latin 'Camassia', which stems from the Native American Nez Perce word 'qém'es' or Chinook Jargon 'kamas', referring to the plant's sweet, historically significant edible bulb.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Camassia. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/camassia