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gardenia

American  
[gahr-dee-nyuh, -nee-uh] / gɑrˈdi njə, -ni ə /

noun

  • gardenias
    plural
  1. any evergreen tree or shrub belonging to the genus Gardenia, of the madder family, native to the warmer parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, cultivated for its usually large, fragrant white flowers.

  2. the flower of any of these plants.


gardenia British  
/ ɡɑːˈdiːnɪə /

noun

  1. any evergreen shrub or tree of the Old World tropical rubiaceous genus Gardenia, cultivated for their large fragrant waxlike typically white flowers

  2. the flower of any of these shrubs

"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 gardenia

< New Latin (1760), after Alexander Garden (1730–91), American physician; see -ia


Vocabulary lists containing gardenia

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:

A much larger 2016 fire in the Waianae mountains on the other side of Oahu took out one of the last remaining populations of a rare tree gardenia, said Gon.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 11, 2023

Yield makes minimalist citronella candles and incense sticks, lightly fragranced with gardenia, eucalyptus and citronella.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 19, 2023

And a genipin-derived blue from gardenia fruits that has long been used in parts of Asia could soon enter the U.S. and international markets, too.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 14, 2023

Both are customizable with a selection of 30 odors, including gardenia, caramel, ginger, clove, mojito and coconut milk.

From Scientific American ● May 9, 2023

One Saturday, as I watered my gardenia bush, he showed up.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

Busy gardeners should look for low-maintenance plants like ZZ plants, Chinese evergreens, pothos and philodendrons, while others may choose ferns, peace lilies, baby tears and gardenias that require a bit more attention and care.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 20, 2024

His specialty is imaging up a landscape that utilizes pebbles and rocks, trees that are more natural, with lights illuminating them at night, and flowers like gardenias that perfume the entrance to a home.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2023

Like everything else, they were different this year — red gardenias instead of roses.

From Washington Post ● May 2, 2020

The stocks and gardenias and roses were heady with perfume, alive with butterflies of every color.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 28, 2016

After she finishes, his mother bathes him with the remaining gardenias.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

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