a city in W Ohio.
a female given name.
First recorded in 1895–1900; from New Latin from Greek xenía “hospitality”; see origin at xen-, -ia
In botany, xenia is the way pollen affects the seeds and fruits of a plant as they develop. For the ancient Greeks, xenia was a concept that was all about being a gracious and generous host. Xenia is a Greek word meaning "rights of a guest," from xenos, "guest." Historians translate this word as "ritualized friendship," using it to describe a culture of treating foreigners and visitors alike with generous hospitality. The 19th-century botanist Wilhelm Olbers Focke borrowed the word xenia to describe a process of "foreign" pollen being received by a "host" plant.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nolan emphasizes that he felt “a responsibility to have the appropriate tone, to have a sense of consequences,” which is why the film emphasizes the ancient world’s concept of xenia, otherwise known as Zeus’ law.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
This is why artists called pictures representing the things which were sent to guests "xenia."
From The Ten Books on Architecture by Vitruvius Pollio
We fancied that we could detect bitternut flavor in good shagbarks about the plantings, due to xenia influence, as in the case of chestnuts.
From Northern Nut Growers Association Incorporated 39th Annual Report at Norris, Tenn. September 13-15 1948 by Northern Nut Growers Association
Sweet golden-rod and xenia And crimson marigold, What dreams of autumn splendor Your velvet leaves unfold.
From Love or Fame; and Other Poems by Sherrick, Fannie Isabel
Cynthia Lennon, a resident of nearby Xenia, Ohio, told Salon her faith brought her to the vigil.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
"This is the sport of the future," said Vitaly Bulatov, who co-founded UFB with his wife, Xenia.
From Barron's ● Jan. 8, 2026
“No no no! This is impossible,” German actor Xenia Seeberg wrote in comments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2025
The Xenia Hotel and the city’s high schools were demolished.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
Seven years later, Dorothy reaped the reward for her hard work in the form of the valedictorian’s spot and a full-tuition scholarship to Wilberforce University, the country’s oldest private Negro college, in Xenia, Ohio.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
