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bougainvillea

American  
[boo-guhn-vil-ee-uh, -vil-yuh, boh-] / ˌbu gənˈvɪl i ə, -ˈvɪl jə, ˌboʊ- /

noun

  • bougainvilleas
    plural
  1. any of several shrubs or vines of the genus Bougainvillea, native to South America, having small flowers with showy, variously colored bracts, and often cultivated in warm regions.


bougainvillea British  
/ ˌbuːɡənˈvɪlɪə /

noun

  1. any tropical woody nyctaginaceous widely cultivated climbing plant of the genus Bougainvillea , having inconspicuous flowers surrounded by showy red or purple bracts

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of bougainvillea

1789; < New Latin, named after L. A. de Bougainville


Vocabulary lists containing bougainvillea

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.

See Examples For:

Its entrance is sealed with a crude brick-and-mud wall, and an overgrown bougainvillea, bright with pink blooms, spills over the front boundary.

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025

But those who really know L.A. can tell you it’s a pleasure to stroll through, replete with blooming bougainvillea, rich history and street vendors and shops.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2024

The front of the building was covered in a flash of fuchsia bougainvillea, and the surrounding brick towers glowed with inviting warm windows and hints of crystal chandeliers.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2024

Vines: Some popular vines that can grow up a wall include plants such as grapes, passion fruit and bougainvillea.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 25, 2023

The wide-open building that serves as church and school was built of concrete-block pillars holding up a roof of palm thatch and billowy clouds of scarlet bougainvillea.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Lehrer told the New York Times that jacarandas and bougainvilleas, native to South America and favorites of George Lucas, had to be included in the gardens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

When Rower mentioned from across the table that his grandparents adored bougainvilleas, he seemed to be floating the idea to see Oudolf’s reaction about whether they would work in Calder Gardens.

From New York Times ● Sep. 7, 2022

She cares for every herb and weed in the gardens she tends but she has a special place in her heart for the vibrant fuchsia blooms of bougainvilleas — vining shrubs with hidden sharp thorns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2022

He then sat down with other volunteers in a shaded eating area prettied with multicolored bougainvilleas to fret about if their work even had a place in today’s Catholic Church.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2021

By the end of the week, Pita got up and hobbled about the courtyard of Hacienda Dorada, clapping and laughing at the girls as they chased mariposas around the wide, robust bougainvilleas.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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