banksia

[ bangk-see-uh ]

/ ˈbæŋk si ə /

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noun

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

Words nearby banksia

bankruptcy, bankruptcy order, bankrupt worm, Banks, bank shot, banksia, banksia rose, bankside, Banks Island, banksman, bank statement

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use banksia in a sentence

There are banksia bushes with their sawtooth-edge leaves and dried seed cones like multiple jabbering mouths.
Robert Hughes: A Fierce Critic and Powerful Voice Now Silenced|Simon Schama|August 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This curious insect is said to be found on the Banksia, and would probably, with Linnaeus, have been a Bruchus.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
One species was found growing on the stump of a Banksia in Western Australia.
Fungi: Their Nature and Uses|Mordecai Cubitt Cooke
The Duchess mounted the double staircase where the banksia already hung in a golden curtain over the marble balustrade.
Lady Rose's Daughter|Mrs. Humphry Ward

In Australia the soft velvety core of the "bottle brush," Banksia marginata, is often used instead of the cotton wick.
Getting Gold|J. C. F. Johnson
Occasionally, follicles dehisce by the dorsal suture, as in Magnolia grandiflora and Banksia.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for banksia

banksia

/ (ˈbæŋksɪə) /

noun

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)

Word Origin for banksia

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