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geranium

American  
[ji-ray-nee-uhm] / dʒɪˈreɪ ni əm /

noun

  • geraniums
    plural
  1. any of numerous plants of the genus Geranium, which comprises the crane's-bills.

  2. the wild geranium, G. maculatum, of eastern North America, having loose clusters of lavender flowers.

  3. 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.

  4. a flower of this plant.

  5. a vivid red color.


geranium British  
/ dʒɪˈreɪnɪəm /

noun

  1. any cultivated geraniaceous plant of the genus Pelargonium , having scarlet, pink, or white showy flowers See also pelargonium rose geranium lemon geranium

  2. any geraniaceous plant of the genus Geranium, such as cranesbill and herb Robert, having divided leaves and pink or purplish flowers

  3. a strong red to a moderate or strong pink colour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


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.

See Examples For:

"If you were to plant something like a mint, a eucalyptus or a rose geranium - they have very strongly scented leaves and they're around for a long period of time."

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

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

These include citronella, a few other geranium varieties, plus marigolds, lemongrass, catnip, certain types of mint, lavender, and lantana.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2024

With the right container, simple is satisfying: Think of fat terra-cotta rounds overflowing with a single kind of scented-leafed geranium, or a yellow water lily floating in a cobalt blue urn.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2023

Theresa’s geranium they moved outside, with vows to water it every single day.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

He first alarms Dickens by attempting to kiss him and then infuriates him by harvesting geraniums from the garden.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

Speaking surrounded by geraniums, he said he was happy to take any form of payment, although card was slightly easier albeit slower to process.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2025

And the plant orders that include geraniums and eucalyptus—once considered to be closely related—are in fact quite distant from each other.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 23, 2024

Plants will be nonirrigated and drought resistant: Adirondack crabapple for shade canopy, hardy geraniums for color, Point Reyes shrubs for evergreen ground cover.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 4, 2023

Next door to Randy’s house was the home of Dr. Hawkins and his family, freshly whitewashed, with geraniums still in bloom by the porch.

From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper

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