mimosa

[ mi-moh-suh, -zuh ]

/ mɪˈmoʊ sə, -zə /

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noun

any of numerous plants, shrubs, or trees belonging to the genus Mimosa, of the legume family, native to tropical or warm regions, having small flowers in globular heads or cylindrical spikes and often sensitive leaves.

any of various similar or related plants, especially of the genus Acacia, as the silver wattle, or Albizzia, as the silk tree.

a cocktail of orange juice and champagne, usually in equal parts.

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Origin of mimosa

1695–1705; <New Latin, equivalent to Latin mīm(us) mime + -ōsa, feminine of -ōsus-ose¹

Words nearby mimosa

mimicry, MIMinE, miminy-piminy, Mimir, MIMO, mimosa, mimosaceous, mimosis, Mims, mimsy, mimulus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mimosa in a sentence

In my teenage years, after my older brothers Christopher and James had moved out, Mom and Dad and I would listen to Sinatra, drink mimosas for breakfast and open gifts.
Children of Classic Christmas Movie Stars Share Memories of Their Parents' Beloved Films|Melissa August|December 21, 2021|Time
Scott also had the foresight to bring along a few bottles of champagne and orange juice and we were treated to mimosas along the way.
Blogging my first overseas vacation since COVID|Peter Rosenstein|October 19, 2021|Washington Blade
On days off, Diaz, Oldenburg and other AMR friends camped on the beach together, watched Lakers games and grabbed mimosas in the early morning after work.
The Broken Front Line|by Ava Kofman, photography by Kendrick Brinson and David Walter Banks|April 7, 2021|ProPublica
Armed with a breakfast burrito and sparkling Mimosa, we strongly disagree.
Don’t Diss the Beauty of Brunch: Defending Our Favorite Meal|Tim Teeman|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They saw broken branches of the mimosa giving out their odour, that had not had time to waste itself.
Popular Adventure Tales|Mayne Reid
The ground was open on all sides, a thin thread of mimosa along some slight depression being the only sort of cover it afforded.
A Frontier Mystery|Bertram Mitford
Douaille will have full powers, and the conference will take place at the Villa Mimosa.
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo|E. Phillips Oppenheim
Below them was a tangle of mimosa trees and rhododendrons, and further below still the blue Mediterranean.
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo|E. Phillips Oppenheim
The perfume of mimosa and roses and oleander came to him in long waves, subtle and yet invigorating.
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo|E. Phillips Oppenheim

British Dictionary definitions for mimosa

mimosa

/ (mɪˈməʊsə, -zə) /

noun

any tropical shrub or tree of the leguminous genus Mimosa, having ball-like clusters of yellow or pink flowers and compound leaves that are often sensitive to touch or lightSee also sensitive plant

any similar or related tree

Word Origin for mimosa

C18: from New Latin, probably from Latin mīmus mime, because the plant's sensitivity to touch imitates the similar reaction of animals

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