sempervivum
[ sem-per-vahy-vuhm ]
noun
any of various succulent plants belonging to the genus Sempervivum, of the stonecrop family, having leaves in dense basal rosettes and a compact, flat-topped cluster of flowers, and including the houseleek, S. tectorum, and other commonly cultivated species.
Origin of sempervivum
1<New Latin: genus name, Late Latin sempervīvum houseleek, equivalent to Latin semper always + vīvum, neuter singular of vīvus alive, in reference to the plant's durable qualities
Words Nearby sempervivum
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for sempervivum
sempervivum
/ (ˌsɛmpəˈvaɪvəm) /
noun
See houseleek
Origin of sempervivum
1New Latin, from Latin sempervivus ever-living, from semper always + vivere to live
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
Browse