chincherinchee
[ chin-chuh-rin-chee, -rin-chee, ching-kuh- ]
noun
a bulbous plant, Ornithogalum thyrsoides, of the lily family, native to southern Africa, having dense clusters of cream-colored or white flowers.
Origin of chincherinchee
11925–30; <Afrikaans tjienkerientjee, perhaps tjienker- (< ?) + uintjie name for various edible bulbs (compare uietjie, diminutive of ui onion); often alleged to be imitative representation of the sound produced when the stalks are rubbed together
Words Nearby chincherinchee
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British Dictionary definitions for chincherinchee
chincherinchee
/ (ˌtʃɪntʃərɪnˈtʃiː, -ˈrɪntʃɪ) /
noun
a bulbous South African liliaceous plant, Ornithogalum thyrsoides, having long spikes of white or yellow long-lasting flowers
Origin of chincherinchee
1of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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