noun
magnolia
mag-NOH-lee-uh/mæɡˈnəʊliə/
A tree or shrub with large, often fragrant flowers, or its blossom.
The magnolia beside our porch blooms early in the spring.
Etymology
Magnolius names the botanist Pierre Magnol; adding -ia made it a botanical genus name. The flowering tree's name therefore commemorates a person rather than describing its blossoms.
In context
it used to be thought that the earliest flowering plants were those like in the Magnolia family big showy flowers
More examples
- They plant two magnolias along the driveway.
- She floats a single magnolia in a bowl of water.
- This compact magnolia grows well in a small garden.
Forms
magnolia · magnolias