Castilleja

noun

Cas·​til·​le·​ja

variants or less commonly Castilleia

ˌkastəˈlē(y)ə

: a large genus of root-parasitic herbs (family Scrophulariaceae) abundant in western North America and characterized by irregular hooded flowers in dense spikes usually with brightly colored bracts see indian paintbrush

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, irregular (influence of Spanish -eja, diminutive suffix) from Juan Castillo y López

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!