gardenia
gardenia Lexical Profile
gardenia Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of various tropical and subtropical evergreen shrubs or small trees of the genus Gardenia (family Rubiaceae), native to Africa, Asia, Madagascar, and the Pacific Islands, widely cultivated for their glossy dark-green leaves and large, intensely fragrant, waxy white or pale-yellow blossoms; also, the flower itself.
"She pinned a fresh white gardenia to the lapel of her evening gown before heading to the gala."
The oval, orange-red berry-like fruit of certain species of the genus Gardenia (especially Gardenia jasminoides), used in East Asian cuisine as a natural yellow food coloring and in traditional herbal medicine.
"The chef steeped dried gardenia fruit in warm water to extract a vibrant golden dye for the glutinous rice."
• Rhymes for gardenia
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in Modern Latin in the mid-18th century by the English botanist John Ellis and adopted by Carl Linnaeus, named in honor of Alexander Garden (1730–1791), a Scottish-born physician and naturalist who lived in Charleston, South Carolina.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.