oleander
Americannoun
-
oleanders
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of oleander
1540–50; < Medieval Latin oleander, oliandrum, obscurely akin to Late Latin laurandrum, perhaps a conflation of Latin laurus laurel and rhododendron rhododendron
Vocabulary lists containing oleander
"How It Feels to Be Colored Me"
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 4
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Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Several other strains of the bacteria exist and can infect other host plants, including citrus, stone fruits, almonds, oleander and some shade trees, according to the California Pierce’s Disease Control Program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Oleandrin comes from Nerium oleander, a shrub that is deadly to humans; scientists warned the New York Times that the compound was not known to be safe.
From Slate ● Dec. 11, 2025
He’d woken up in an oleander bush with no memory of how he’d gotten there.
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025
Leaf yellowing or drooping caused by drought will happen on the whole tree, so seeing these symptoms in isolated branches leads me to suspect oleander leaf scorch.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 6, 2023
The windows of the classroom were all open, and the fragrance from the oleander bushes outside filled the air, heavy, rich, and warm.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
Oleander leaf scorch, which can infect olives because they are in the same family as oleanders, can cause leaf yellowing and localized defoliation.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 6, 2023
Some annuals, such as geraniums, have a fighting chance, along with perennials such as coleus, hibiscus and oleanders, and even those more accustomed to tropical climates.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 30, 2021
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said, “to see trees dying in such dramatic numbers in famously lush cities like Pasadena, Alhambra and Arcadia: sycamores, all the maples, olives, liquidambers, flower plums, myrtles, oleanders and oaks.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2017
Today lush pink and white oleanders line broad avenues, and stately sycamores and ginkgo trees extend their shade to pedestrians wilting in the August heat.
From National Geographic ● Aug. 7, 2015
No one would ever find me there, either, behind all those roses, and just to make sure I would plant oleanders by the road.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
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