bougainvillea

American  

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

noun

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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of bougainvillea

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

Example Sentences

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

The lush motif is carried outdoors to the deck off of the kitchen, where the hillside’s palm trees, bougainvillea and citrus provide shade for the dining table and chairs.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2025

What’s more, they’re often framed by colorful bougainvillea, fragrant jasmine and photogenic palm trees.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2024

The centerpiece of Anderson’s collection was a bold and surreal high-waisted silhouette, with pants in hues of camel, grey, brown, and black occasionally touched by vivid splashes of red, bougainvillea, and tangerine.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 29, 2023

I look out the front window, past the dripping pink bougainvillea bush to the street, wishing Matilde would appear now and snip every last tie I have with these people.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau