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  • flora
    flora
    noun
    the plants of a particular region or period, listed by species and considered as a whole.
  • Flora
    Flora
    noun
    a female given name.
Synonyms

flora

1 American  
[flawr-uh, flohr-uh] / ˈflɔr ə, ˈfloʊr ə /

noun

floras, plural florae plural
  1. the plants of a particular region or period, listed by species and considered as a whole.

  2. a work systematically describing such plants.

  3. plants, as distinguished from fauna.

  4. the aggregate of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms normally occurring on or in the bodies of humans and other animals.

    intestinal flora.


Flora 2 American  
[flawr-uh, flohr-uh] / ˈflɔr ə, ˈfloʊr ə /

noun

  1. a female given name.


flora 1 British  
/ ˈflɔːrə /

noun

  1. all the plant life of a given place or time

  2. a descriptive list of such plants, often including a key for identification

  3. short for intestinal flora

"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

Flora 2 British  
/ ˈflɔːrə /

noun

  1. the Roman goddess of flowers

"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

flora Scientific  
/ flôrə /
floras plural
  1. The plants of a particular region or time period.

  2. The bacteria and other microorganisms that normally inhabit a bodily organ or part, such as the intestine.


flora Cultural  
  1. Plants, especially the plants of a particular place and time.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of flora

First recorded in 1655–65; from New Latin, Latin Flōra the Roman goddess of flowers (used from the 17th century in the titles of botanical works), derivative of Latin flōr- (stem of flōs ) “flower”

Explanation

The flora of a particular area consists of its plant species, considered as a whole. The word also refers to the plant life of a particular era — for example, fossilized plants can help us determine the flora at the time of dinosaurs. The use of the word flora as referring to a particular area's vegetation has been used by botanists since the 1640s, but it became common with Swedish botanist Linnaeus, who in 1745 wrote "Flora Suecica," a study of the plant life of Sweden. The word was a natural fit, as Flōra was the name of the Roman goddess of flowers. When scientists study a region's flora, they classify their findings and create a descriptive list, which is also called a flora.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing flora

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Attenborough approached the conservation charity Flora and Fauna, who set up the Mountain Gorilla Project to help protect the animals.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Most international frameworks governing wildlife trade, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, were designed primarily to protect species from overexploitation, according to Gore.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

"We came here to support him, but the Congolese people are suffering. What we want is work," says Flora Kouka, a nurse.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

Weber Wong, founder and CEO of Flora, said the 33-person startup isn’t thinking about “how many heads can we bring onto the team,” but rather how AI agents can supercharge experienced employees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

Dr. Meescham went into the kitchen, and Flora turned and looked at the couch.

From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo

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