jacaranda

American  

[jak-uh-ran-duh, -ran-dah] / ˌdʒæk əˈræn də, -rænˈdɑ /

noun

1. any of various tropical trees belonging to the genus Jacaranda, of the catalpa family, having showy clusters of usually purplish flowers.

2. any of various related or similar trees.

3. the often fragrant, ornamental wood of any of these trees.

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jacaranda British  

/ ˌdʒækəˈrændə /

noun

1. any bignoniaceous tree of the tropical American genus Jacaranda , having fernlike leaves and pale purple flowers and widely cultivated in temperate areas of Australia

2. the fragrant ornamental wood of any of these trees

3. any of several related or similar trees or their wood

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Etymology

Origin of jacaranda

1745–55; < Portuguese jacarandá < Tupi yacarandá

Example Sentences

Then up, up, and up, past the markets, clothing boutiques, fix-it shops, the swirling schools of motor scooters and all those purple jacaranda trees, starting their seasonal bloom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Vicki Warren, on the other hand, wasn’t much concerned about the fate of the jacaranda outside her late father’s home, which burned in the Palisades fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2025

For many jacaranda lovers, the labor of preservation was a knee-jerk reaction, like shielding a child from a blow.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2025

LuAnn Haslam, Murphy’s next-door neighbor in Pasadena, said losing her jacaranda felt like a second wave of grief after her home burned down.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2025

The tender budding of our new year, the periwinkles and the jasmine, the soft, scented champak blossom, had yielded place to the fierce flowering jacaranda and gold mohur, before Ira’s time came for giving birth.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya