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banksia

[bangk-see-uh]
noun
  1. any Australian shrub or tree of the genus Banksia, having alternate leaves and dense, cylindrical flower heads.
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Origin of banksia

1782; < New Latin; named after Sir Joseph Banks; see -ia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for banksia

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • It was smothered in Banksia roses, and it overlooked the sea.

  • She cut great sprays from the Banksia rose and brought them back with her.

  • He sat down in the armchair just where he could smell the sweet-peas and the Banksia roses.

  • It was scarcely possible to see more than fifty yards ahead of you, so thickly grew the banksia trees.

    The Bushman

    Edward Wilson Landor

  • Luckily he espied a banksia tree which seemed easy to ascend; but just as he reached it the bull was upon him.

    The Bushman

    Edward Wilson Landor

British Dictionary definitions for banksia

banksia

noun
  1. any shrub or tree of the Australian genus Banksia, having long leathery evergreen leaves and dense cylindrical heads of flowers that are often red or yellowish: family ProteaceaeSee also honeysuckle (def. 3)
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Word Origin

C19: New Latin, named after Sir Joseph Banks
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