coleus

American  

[koh-lee-uhs] / ˈkoʊ li əs /

noun

plural

coleuses

1. any of several tropical Asian or African plants belonging to the genus Coleus, of the mint family, certain species of which are cultivated for their showy, colored foliage and blue flowers.

---

coleus British  

/ ˈkəʊlɪəs /

noun

1. any plant of the Old World genus Coleus: cultivated for their variegated leaves, typically marked with red, yellow, or white: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

---

Etymology

Origin of coleus

1865–70; < New Latin < Greek koleós, variant of koleón sheath, scabbard; akin to conceal, hull ¹

Example Sentences

Coral Candy Coleus, the first coleus grown from seed selected as an AAS Winner, is uniformly compact and has unique narrow, serrated, multicolored leaves.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2024

Coleus cuttings will root anywhere along the stem, and they’ll root easily in soilless potting medium in pots, cells or flats.

From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024

“Nobody who has seen a Coleus topiary has ever said to me, ‘Oh, that old thing?’”

From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024

Coleus varieties that are inclined to flower early, which is an impediment, especially while you’re training the supporting stem before shaping the lollipop on top.

From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024

Then, in mid-February, a Hazleton animal caretaker who will be called John Coleus was performing a necropsy on a dead monkey when he cut his thumb with a scalpel.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston