forsythia

American  

[fawr-sith-ee-uh, -sahy-thee-uh, fer-] / fɔrˈsɪθ i ə, -ˈsaɪ θi ə, fər- /

noun

1. a shrub belonging to the genus Forsythia, of the olive family, native to China and southeastern Europe, species of which are cultivated for their showy yellow flowers, which blossom on the bare branches in early spring.

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forsythia British  

/ fɔːˈsaɪθɪə /

noun

1. any oleaceous shrub of the genus Forsythia , native to China, Japan, and SE Europe but widely cultivated for its showy yellow bell-shaped flowers, which appear in spring before the foliage

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Etymology

Origin of forsythia

< New Latin, after William Forsyth (1737–1804), English horticulturist; see -ia

Example Sentences

The two Bronze Age teeth produced highly divergent strains of Tannerella forsythia, a bacteria implicated in gum disease.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2024

Then forsythia, daffodils, magnolias, robins, and cherry trees, on down the line.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2024

A yellow forsythia bush bloomed under a cloudless blue sky; the sun shone in that newly spring way that makes you want to go outside and stay there.

From Seattle Times • May 10, 2023

It may still have value in northern states, as a bright promise of spring after a long winter, but in the Mid-Atlantic, the forsythia is a one-trick pony.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2021

Through the forsythia and pumpkin vine, Sierra saw a middle-aged man stomping through the party with an even gait.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older