geranium
Americannoun
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any of numerous plants of the genus Geranium, which comprises the crane's-bills.
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the wild geranium, G. maculatum, of eastern North America, having loose clusters of lavender flowers.
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Also called stork's-bill. any of various plants of the allied genus Pelargonium, native to southern Africa, having showy flowers or fragrant leaves, widely cultivated in gardens and as houseplants.
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a flower of this plant.
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a vivid red color.
noun
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any cultivated geraniaceous plant of the genus Pelargonium , having scarlet, pink, or white showy flowers See also pelargonium rose geranium lemon geranium
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any geraniaceous plant of the genus Geranium, such as cranesbill and herb Robert, having divided leaves and pink or purplish flowers
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a strong red to a moderate or strong pink colour
Etymology
Origin of geranium
1540–50; < New Latin, for Latin geranion < Greek geránion name for various plants the fruit of which was thought to resemble a crane's bill, derivative of géranos crane; akin to Latin grūs
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These microbes are known to contaminate white wine, causing spoilage and unpleasant odors, including nail polish remover, geranium and "mousy" odors.
From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024
To illustrate this, she collected a chocolate-scented geranium and invited a sniff.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2023
Ms. Wong claimed that essential oils containing lemon and geranium prevented the binding of the COVID-19 virus to human cells, and that “a lot of studies” showed oregano also worked against coronavirus.
From Washington Times • Mar. 3, 2023
Their work is inspired by the stork’s bill geranium, whose seeds pop out of their pods, fly through the air, and drill into the soil with their corkscrew-shaped tails.
From Science Magazine • Feb. 15, 2023
He had on his gardening clothes—old trousers, shirtsleeves rolled up past the elbow—and in the wheelbarrow were tomato plants and cucumber, flats of strawberry and sunflower and scarlet geranium.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
