Dictionary.com

portulaca

[ pawr-chuh-lak-uh, pohr- ]
/ ˌpɔr tʃəˈlæk ə, ˌpoʊr- /

noun

any of various fleshy-leaved plants of the genus Portulaca, especially P. grandiflora, widely cultivated for its showy, variously colored flowers.

QUIZZES

BECOME A PRO CHEF WITH THIS EXQUISITE CUISINE QUIZ!

Even if you can't be a professional chef, you can at least talk like one with this vocabulary quiz.
Question 1 of 9
You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of portulaca

1540–50; <New Latin, genus name, Latin: purslane

Words nearby portulaca

Portuguese India, Portuguese man-of-war, Portuguese Timor, Portuguese water dog, Portuguese West Africa, portulaca, portulacaceous, Port Washington, port-wine stain, porus, POS
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for portulaca

British Dictionary definitions for portulaca

portulaca
/ (ˌpɔːtjʊˈlækə, -ˈleɪkə) /

noun

any portulacaceous plant of the genus Portulaca, such as rose moss and purslane, of tropical and subtropical America, having yellow, pink, or purple showy flowers

Word Origin for portulaca

C16: from Latin: purslane
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