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Definition of scaevola
scaevola
/siːˈvoʊlə/
scae · vo · la
Plural:scaevolas
scaevola Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
12
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
Syllables
3
• noun
1
Any trailing herb or shrub of the genus Scaevola in the family Goodeniaceae, native primarily to Australia and tropical Pacific islands, widely cultivated as a hanging-basket or groundcover plant for its distinctive asymmetrical, fan-shaped, five-petalled blue, purple, pink, or white flowers.
• Rhymes for scaevola
Word Origin & Etymology
Named in Modern Latin after Gaius Mucius Scaevola, a legendary Roman hero whose cognomen 'Scaevola' means 'left-handed', in reference to the one-sided, five-petalled flowers that resemble a hand.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Scaevola. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/scaevola