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hosta

American  
[hoh-stuh, hos-tuh] / ˈhoʊ stə, ˈhɒs tə /

noun

  1. any of various plants belonging to the genus Hosta, of the lily family, which includes the plantain lily.


hosta British  
/ ˈhɒstə /

noun

  1. any plant of the liliaceous genus Hosta, of China and Japan: cultivated esp for their ornamental foliage

"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

Etymology

Origin of hosta

< New Latin (1797), after Nicolaus Thomas Host (1761–1834), Austrian botanist; see -a 2

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:

He prints with leaves from trees that probably witnessed the Battle of Fredericksburg, and from a hosta plant in the back garden of the New Jersey house where Whitman lived his final years.

From Washington Post Sep. 8, 2021

I also saw some hosta leaves sprouting, and they are destined to get zapped by forthcoming freezes.

From Washington Post Jan. 5, 2021

As the birches grew up to create shady areas, the couple underplanted with painted ferns, hosta and ornamental grasses.

From Seattle Times Feb. 16, 2017

Now hellebores, carex, deer ferns, autumn ferns, hosta, blue fescue, bergenia and Scotch moss grow happily in the dappled shade.

From Seattle Times Oct. 21, 2016

And the west border, which ranges from deep purple to pale blue, offers a sampling that includes forget-me-nots, sweet peas, globe thistle, and hosta.

From New York Times Jun. 17, 2011

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