begonia

American

[bih-gohn-yuh, -goh-nee-uh] / bɪˈgoʊn yə, -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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

The show features a variety of begonias on display, and for sale, as well as classes on begonia cultivation on Sept. 18 and begonia propagation on Sept. 19.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2021

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

“As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won’t kill yet,” she said calmly as though she’d just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling

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