azalea

American  

[uh-zeyl-yuh] / əˈzeɪl yə /

noun

1. any of numerous shrubs belonging to a particular group (Azalea) of the genus Rhododendron, of the heath family, comprising species with handsome flower clusters of various colors, some of which are familiar in cultivation: the group was formerly the botanical genus Azalea but is now a horticultural classification.

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azalea British  

/ əˈzeɪljə /

noun

1. any ericaceous plant of the group Azalea, formerly a separate genus but now included in the genus Rhododendron: cultivated for their showy pink or purple flowers

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Etymology

Origin of azalea

1750–60; < New Latin < Greek azaléa, noun use of feminine of azaléos dry; so named because it grows in dry soil

Example Sentences

Still, Pyongyang has touted Jindallae -- "azalea" in Korean -- as a convenient way for citizens to stay connected, albeit through a strictly controlled domestic network.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

He might be plucking an azalea in “Freud’s Last Session,” or watching a grandson fly a model rocket in “Armageddon Time.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2024

“I butchered an azalea he told me to prune. He was trying to tell me it’s OK,” Richardson chuckles as she thinks back, “but I saw the veins in his neck were strained.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2022

Its presence lingers in Savannah still, as real as the spring dogwood and azalea blossoms in the city squares.

From Washington Post • Jul. 8, 2022

Tall azalea bushes hide my face, but I can see through enough to spot an approacher.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett