oleander

[ oh-lee-an-der, oh-lee-an- ]

noun
  1. a poisonous shrub, Nerium oleander, of the dogbane family, native to southern Eurasia, having evergreen leaves and showy clusters of pink, red, or white flowers, and widely cultivated as an ornamental.

Origin of oleander

1
1540–50; <Medieval Latin oleander, oliandrum, obscurely akin to Late Latin laurandrum, perhaps a conflation of Latin lauruslaurel and rhododendronrhododendron

Words Nearby oleander

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oleander in a sentence

  • Cyrène passed down her favourite oleander path at sunset to the great vinery in the Noailles garden.

    The False Chevalier | William Douw Lighthall
  • The loveliness of the oleander blossoms and the sunset over the garden made a harmony with her dream.

    The False Chevalier | William Douw Lighthall

British Dictionary definitions for oleander

oleander

/ (ˌəʊlɪˈændə) /


noun
  1. a poisonous evergreen Mediterranean apocynaceous shrub or tree, Nerium oleander, with fragrant white, pink, or purple flowers: Also called: rosebay

Origin of oleander

1
C16: from Medieval Latin, variant of arodandrum, perhaps from Latin rhododendron

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