ixia

[ ik-see-uh ]

noun
  1. any of various southern African plants of the genus Ixia, of the iris family, having sword-shaped leaves and showy, ornamental flowers.

Origin of ixia

1
<New Latin (Linnaeus) <Greek ixía birdlime, equivalent to ix(ós) mistletoe, birdlime (made with mistletoe berries) + -ia-ia

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How to use ixia in a sentence

  • Delicate purple Ixias, and yet more delicate Hoop-petticoat Narcissus, spring from the turf.

    Prose Idylls | Charles Kingsley
  • They may be potted and grown in the way recommended for Ixias under glass.

    The Book of Bulbs | Samuel Arnott
  • There was little grass to be seen, for it was at this time one vast profusion of delicate ixias of every bright and tender shade.

  • Mr. Aiton regards it as a greenhouse plant; like those of many of the Ixias, however, the bulbs are of the more tender kind.

  • I think these tigridias that Mr. Greenish was so keen to combine with the ixias were a mistake.

    The Vanity Girl | Compton Mackenzie

British Dictionary definitions for ixia

ixia

/ (ˈɪksɪə) /


noun
  1. any plant of the iridaceous genus Ixia, of southern Africa, having showy ornamental funnel-shaped flowers

Origin of ixia

1
C18: New Latin from Greek ixos mistletoe, birdlime prepared from mistletoe berries

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