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Definition of sea holly
sea holly
Plural:sea hollies
sea holly Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A hardy coastal plant (Eryngium maritimum or related species of the genus Eryngium) native to European coastlines, characterized by stiff, deeply veined, spiny bluish-green leaves and dense, thistle-like heads of metallic blue or purplish flowers.
Example
"The sand dunes were dotted with the silvery-blue heads of sea holly, standing resilient against the salty ocean breeze."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for sea hollyWord Nuance & Usage
Despite its name and spiny leaves, sea holly is not a true holly (genus Ilex) but rather a member of the parsley and carrot family (Apiaceae).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from its preferred coastal sand dune habitat ('sea') and the visual resemblance of its stiff, spiny leaves to those of the true holly tree.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sea holly. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sea holly