any plant of the genus Myrtus, especially M. communis, a shrub of southern Europe having evergreen leaves, fragrant white flowers, and aromatic berries: anciently held sacred to Venus and used as an emblem of love.
any of certain unrelated plants, as the periwinkle, Vinca minor, and California laurel, Umbellularia californica.
Also called myrtlewood. the hard, golden-brown wood of the California laurel.
Also called myrtle green. dark green with bluish tinge.
any evergreen shrub or tree of the myrtaceous genus Myrtus, esp M. communis, a S European shrub with pink or white flowers and aromatic blue-black berries
short for crape myrtle
bog myrtle another name for sweet gale
another name for periwinkle 2
1350–1400; Middle English mirtile < Medieval Latin myrtillus, equivalent to Latin myrt ( us ) (< Greek mýrtos ) + New Latin -illus diminutive suffix
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Those looking for a step up from Myrtle Beach can try Hilton Head Island, which is known for its paved bike trails and bright-green golf courses.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Half of the U.S. population can get to Myrtle Beach within a 12-hour drive, he said, and interest from the northeastern states has been increasing.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
That brings to mind the summers he spent as a lifeguard at Myrtle Beach, S.C.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
The central Florida metro of Ocala had the biggest population percentage gain in the U.S. last year, per Census estimates, followed by Myrtle Beach and Spartanburg, S.C.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Another traditional miners’ vacation spot was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
