oleander
[ oh-lee-an-der, oh-lee-an- ]
/ ˈoʊ liˌæn dər, ˌoʊ liˈæn- /
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noun
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.
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Origin of oleander
1540–50; <Medieval Latin oleander, oliandrum, obscurely akin to Late Latin laurandrum, perhaps a conflation of Latin lauruslaurel and rhododendronrhododendron
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for oleander
oleander
/ (ˌəʊlɪˈændə) /
noun
a poisonous evergreen Mediterranean apocynaceous shrub or tree, Nerium oleander, with fragrant white, pink, or purple flowersAlso called: rosebay
Word Origin for oleander
C16: from Medieval Latin, variant of arodandrum, perhaps from Latin rhododendron
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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