begonia

American

[bih-gohn-yuh, -goh-nee-uh] / bɪˈgoʊn jə, -ˈgoʊ ni ə /

noun

any tropical plant belonging to the genus Begonia, including species cultivated for the handsome, succulent leaves and waxy flowers.

begonia British

/ bɪˈɡəʊnjə /

noun

any plant of the genus Begonia , of warm and tropical regions, widely cultivated for their ornamental leaves and waxy flowers: family Begoniaceae

"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

Etymology

Origin of begonia

< New Latin (Linnaeus), named after Michel Bégon (1638–1710), French patron of science; see -ia

Example Sentences

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begonia

One entry describes begonia as “a deep pink that is bluer, lighter, and stronger than average coral . . . and bluer and stronger than sweet william—called also gaiety.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

For the first round, I decided to take three plants: a small monstera, a polka dot begonia and a white butterfly arrowhead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2022

French botanist Charles Plumier discovered a begonia in Antilles in 1690 and named it after Begon.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2021

New Guinea also has many rare rhododendrons and begonia that have never been described before.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2020

"The begonia is not well," she answers, stroking one plump bud near its stem.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023