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.

---

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

---

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

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

Outside, the city was in early bloom, the forsythia bushes glowing an electric yellow of promise.

From New York Times • Aug. 12, 2021

Or an oncologist who tells a breast cancer patient to forego chemotherapy for forsythia?

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2020

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