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

In a neighbourhood close to the scene of the attack - where plush villas and foreign embassies sit behind high walls, topped with bougainvillea - the streets lay empty.

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2025

I said these things as if I were asking, “Aren’t I amazing?” and “Isn’t looking at me next to a bougainvillea spectacular?”

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2025

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

Magenta explosions of bougainvillea frothed over the kitchen’s gates and the cinder-block walls of the vacant lot next door.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2023

A winding path, lined with purple and white bougainvillea, and water sparkling in the distance.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins