geranium
Americannoun
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geraniums
plural
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any of numerous plants of the genus Geranium, which comprises the crane's-bills.
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the wild geranium, G. maculatum, of eastern North America, having loose clusters of lavender flowers.
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Also called stork's-bill. any of various plants of the allied genus Pelargonium, native to southern Africa, having showy flowers or fragrant leaves, widely cultivated in gardens and as houseplants.
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a flower of this plant.
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a vivid red color.
noun
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any cultivated geraniaceous plant of the genus Pelargonium , having scarlet, pink, or white showy flowers See also pelargonium rose geranium lemon geranium
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any geraniaceous plant of the genus Geranium, such as cranesbill and herb Robert, having divided leaves and pink or purplish flowers
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a strong red to a moderate or strong pink colour
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of geranium
1540–50; < New Latin, for Latin geranion < Greek geránion name for various plants the fruit of which was thought to resemble a crane's bill, derivative of géranos crane; akin to Latin grūs
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.
See Examples For:
These microbes are known to contaminate white wine, causing spoilage and unpleasant odors, including nail polish remover, geranium and "mousy" odors.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2024
With the right container, simple is satisfying: Think of fat terra-cotta rounds overflowing with a single kind of scented-leafed geranium, or a yellow water lily floating in a cobalt blue urn.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2023
The silvery grommets and distinct colorways, including light blue, geranium and mango, make this an eye-catching addition to your wardrobe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
Ms. Wong claimed that essential oils containing lemon and geranium prevented the binding of the COVID-19 virus to human cells, and that “a lot of studies” showed oregano also worked against coronavirus.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 3, 2023
“Day before yesterday,” she repeated, breaking off a spray of Mademoiselle’s geranium; “then if you had not met me here today you wouldn’t— when—that is, didn’t you mean to come and see me?”
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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Their neighbors followed suit, and soon there were scores of street enclosures bright with tulips, daisies and geraniums.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
Speaking surrounded by geraniums, he said he was happy to take any form of payment, although card was slightly easier albeit slower to process.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2025
And the plant orders that include geraniums and eucalyptus—once considered to be closely related—are in fact quite distant from each other.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 23, 2024
Planters of red geraniums and blue forget-me-nots were everywhere.
From Seattle Times ● May 25, 2023
My hair fell forward, cutting off everything—Maxine, Mr. da Silva, the greenhouse’s geraniums —except the book.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.