sempervivum

[ sem-per-vahy-vuhm ]

/ ˌsɛm pərˈvaɪ vəm /

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noun

any of various succulent plants belonging to the genus Sempervivum, of the stonecrop family, having leaves in dense basal rosettes and a compact, flat-topped cluster of flowers, and including the houseleek, S. tectorum, and other commonly cultivated species.

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Origin of sempervivum

<New Latin: genus name, Late Latin sempervīvum houseleek, equivalent to Latin semper always + vīvum, neuter singular of vīvus alive, in reference to the plant's durable qualities

Words nearby sempervivum

Sempach, semper fi, semper fidelis, semper idem, semper paratus, sempervivum, sempiternal, semplice, sempre, sempstress, Semtex

British Dictionary definitions for sempervivum

sempervivum

/ (ˌsɛmpəˈvaɪvəm) /

noun

See houseleek

Word Origin for sempervivum

New Latin, from Latin sempervivus ever-living, from semper always + vivere to live

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