the plants of a particular region or period, listed by species and considered as a whole.
a work systematically describing such plants.
plants, as distinguished from fauna.
the aggregate of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms normally occurring on or in the bodies of humans and other animals.
intestinal flora.
all the plant life of a given place or time
a descriptive list of such plants, often including a key for identification
short for intestinal flora
The plants of a particular region or time period.
The bacteria and other microorganisms that normally inhabit a bodily organ or part, such as the intestine.
First recorded in 1655–65; from New Latin, Latin Flōra the Roman goddess of flowers (used from the 17th century in the titles of botanical works), derivative of Latin flōr- (stem of flōs ) “flower”
The flora of a particular area consists of its plant species, considered as a whole. The word also refers to the plant life of a particular era — for example, fossilized plants can help us determine the flora at the time of dinosaurs. The use of the word flora as referring to a particular area's vegetation has been used by botanists since the 1640s, but it became common with Swedish botanist Linnaeus, who in 1745 wrote "Flora Suecica," a study of the plant life of Sweden. The word was a natural fit, as Flōra was the name of the Roman goddess of flowers. When scientists study a region's flora, they classify their findings and create a descriptive list, which is also called a flora.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sitting at the workbench in front of a small jet of flame, Vittorio’s son, Davide, shaped a speck of glass into a delicate snail to add to the store’s collection of glass flora and fauna.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
“I hope my work can reflect the times we’re in through a lens of color,” he said, “and the flora and fauna of L.A.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
They are famous for their unique flora and fauna and are where British scientist Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
The gut microbiome, also called the gut flora, plays a vital role in human health.
From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2026
Thus, the high percentage of hermaphroditic selfers in the Fertile Crescent flora aided early farmers, because it meant that a high percentage of the wild flora had a reproductive biology convenient for humans.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
