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pikake

[ pee-kah-key ]

noun

  1. a climbing vine, Jasminium sambac, of the olive family, probably of Asian origin, having fragrant white flowers used to flavor jasmine tea and, in Hawaii, to make leis.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of pikake1

1935–40; < Hawaiian pīkake literally, peacock, allegedly a name given to the plant by the Hawaiian princess Kaʾiu-lani (1875–99)
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Example Sentences

Traditional looped lei made of orchids, plumeria, carnations and pikake are also popular.

From Reuters

Something I will always remember about this place, the house where where we live now in Frogtown, is that we have a pikake plant right on our porch outside, and every year it flowers these incredible-smelling flowers.

Then, the Trumps threw large white pikake flower petals into the waters below, peering down as they drifted away.

Last week, however, a Southern Democrat set Hawaii's hopes to blooming like the white-petaled pikake.

In 1929 nearly 22,000 people sailed four days and a half across 2,000 miles of Pacific Ocean to see Hawaii's famed hedges of night-blooming cereus, to lie lazily on its beaches, explore its volcanoes, taste its papaias and mangos, smell its fragrant pikake blossoms, listen to its ukuleles.

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