nicotiana

American  

[ni-koh-shee-ey-nuh, -an-uh, -ah-nuh] / nɪˌkoʊ ʃiˈeɪ nə, -ˈæn ə, -ˈɑ nə /

noun

1. any plant belonging to the genus Nicotiana, of the nightshade family, especially one grown for its ornamental value, as flowering tobacco.

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nicotiana British  

/ -ˈeɪnə, nɪˌkəʊʃɪˈɑːnə /

noun

1. any solanaceous plant of the American and Australian genus Nicotiana, such as tobacco, having white, yellow, or purple fragrant flowers

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Etymology

Origin of nicotiana

1590–1600; < New Latin ( herba ) nicotiana Nicot's (herb) (after Jacques Nicot (1530–1600), said to have introduced tobacco into France); see -ian, -a ²

Example Sentences

To make the vaccine, the company uses nicotiana benthamiana, a cousin of the tobacco plant, as small bioreactors, growing non-infectious virus like particles that mimic the coronavirus.

From Reuters • Mar. 27, 2022

White begonias and nicotiana are easy-to-care-for white flowering plants that thrive in part sun and part shade container gardens.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2021

A few lesser-known white flowers that Balfe likes are nicotiana, mandevilla, cosmos and moonflower, a plant that only blooms at night.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2021

“With the best will in the world, five months from now will you remember you needed more nicotiana in that bed to provide evening fragrance?” she said.

From Washington Post • Nov. 19, 2019

The two women to whose unvarying kindness all my comfort had been owing, were made happy with satin-stripe, cassis, and the inevitable nicotiana.

From Two Trips to Gorilla Land and the Cataracts of the Congo Volume 1 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir