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magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
mag-ˈnōl-yə
: any of a genus (Magnolia of the family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of American and Asian shrubs and trees with entire evergreen or deciduous leaves and usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers usually appearing in early spring
Examples of magnolia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bare-root plants such as fruit trees, and broadleaf evergreen trees like hollies and Southern magnolia perform best when planted in spring.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2024
These trees are ancient relatives of the magnolia and can quickly grow to be over 100 feet tall.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 31 July 2024
The base of musk, magnolia, and mace (a delicate note reminiscent of nutmeg) add a compulsively sniffable layer of warmth.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024
All plants that bloom in the spring, from dogwoods
and azaleas, to tulip magnolias,
forsythia, redbuds, and flowering quince have their flower buds set now, or are finishing up setting them.
—Janet B. Carson, arkansasonline.com, 13 Oct. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Pierre Magnol †1715 French botanist
First Known Use
1739, in the meaning defined above
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Dictionary Entries Near magnolia
Cite this Entry
“Magnolia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnolia. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
mag-ˈnōl-yə
: any of a genus of North American and Asian trees or tall shrubs having usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers that appear before or sometimes with the leaves in the spring
Medical Definition
magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
mag-ˈnōl-yə
1
capitalized
: a genus (family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of North American and Asian shrubs and trees including some whose bark has been used especially as a bitter tonic and diaphoretic in folk medicine
2
a
: any shrub or tree of the genus Magnolia
b
: the dried bark of a magnolia
More from Merriam-Webster on magnolia
Nglish: Translation of magnolia for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about magnolia
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