arabis

[ ar-uh-bis ]

noun

any plant of the genus Arabis, including the rock cresses.

Origin of arabis

1570–80; <New Latin <Greek árabis (stem arabid-) Arabian mustard (derivative with arab-, as in Arabía Arabia, Áraps Arab, etc.); probably applied to the plant because it grows in rocky or sandy soil

Words Nearby arabis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use arabis in a sentence

An interesting rock-cress is found in the arabis Depauperata, which here shows the results of its fierce struggles for existence.
The Lake of the Sky | George Wharton James
arabis alpina ; Aubrietia purpurea ; Alyssum saxatile : all three very easy to grow, and very common.
Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopdia of Sports and Amusements | Various
The caterpillar feeds on Sisymbrium, arabis, Cardamine, and other cruciferous plants.
The Butterfly Book | William Jacob Holland
The arabis with its snowy blossoms is beautiful beneath the early tulips.
Trees, Fruits and Flowers of Minnesota, 1916 | Various
Where the soil became more loamy, arabis petra again came in.
Across Iceland | William Bisiker

British Dictionary definitions for arabis

arabis

/ (ˈærəbɪs) /

noun

any plant of the annual or perennial genus Arabis, some of which form low-growing mats with downy grey foliage and white flowers: family Brassicaceae (crucifers): Also called: rock cress

Origin of arabis

New Latin, from Greek arabis (fem) of Arabia

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