ipomoea

[ip-uh-mee-uh, ahy-pey-]

noun

any plant belonging to the genus Ipomoea, of the morning glory family, certain species of which are cultivated for their large, showy flowers.
the dried root of certain varieties of plants of this genus, yielding a resin sometimes used as a cathartic.

Origin of ipomoea

< New Latin (Linnaeus) < Greek īp- (stem of îps) worm + hómoia, neuter plural of hómoios like; see homeo-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ipomoea

Historical Examples of ipomoea

It is overrun with low bushes, and a few other plants, such as the large purple-flowered Bossioea, and Ipomoea maritima.
Narrative Of The Voyage Of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By The Late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. Etc. During The Years 1846-1850. Including Discoveries And Surveys In New Guinea, The Louisiade Archipelago, Etc. To Which Is Added The Account Of Mr. E.B. Kennedy's Expedition For The Exploration Of The Cape York Peninsula. By John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist To The Expedition. In Two Volumes. Volume 1.
John MacGillivray
The Ipomoea Horsfalliae, with its bright scarlet flowers, has a lovely appearance, but must be treated as a stove evergreen.
Gardening for the Million
Alfred Pink
On several occasions we watched them pursue lizards (Holbrookia propinqua) at the margins of clumps of Croton and Ipomoea.
Vertebrates from the Barrier Island of Tamaulipas, Mxico
Robert K Selander
Species such as Ipomoea purpurea and Phaseolus, which exhibit this power equally well in light and darkness.
The Catholic World; Vol. IV.; October, 1866, to March, 1867.
E. Rameur

British Dictionary definitions for ipomoea

ipomoea

noun

any tropical or subtropical convolvulaceous plant of the genus Ipomoea, such as the morning-glory, sweet potato, and jalap, having trumpet-shaped flowers
the dried root of a Mexican species, I. orizabensis, which yields a cathartic resin

Word Origin for ipomoea

C18: New Latin, from Greek ips worm + homoios like

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