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water hyacinth

noun
  1. a floating aquatic plant, Eichornia crassipes, of tropical lakes and rivers, that grows so prolifically it often hinders the passage of boats.
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Origin of water hyacinth

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for water hyacinth

water hyacinth

noun
  1. a floating aquatic plant, Eichhornia crassipes, of tropical America, having showy bluish-purple flowers and swollen leafstalks: family Pontederiaceae. It forms dense masses in rivers, ponds, etc, and is a serious problem in the southern US, Australia, and parts of Africa
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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