banksia

[ bangk-see-uh ]

noun
  1. any Australian shrub or tree of the genus Banksia, having alternate leaves and dense, cylindrical flower heads.

Origin of banksia

1
1782; <New Latin; named after Sir Joseph Banks; see -ia

Words Nearby banksia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use banksia in a sentence

  • 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.

British Dictionary definitions for banksia

banksia

/ (ˈbæŋksɪə) /


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 Proteaceae: See also honeysuckle (def. 3)

Origin of banksia

1
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