stephanotis

noun

steph·​a·​no·​tis ˌste-fə-ˈnō-təs How to pronounce stephanotis (audio)
: any of a genus (Stephanotis, especially S. floribunda) of Old World tropical woody vines of the milkweed family with fragrant white waxy flowers having a tubular corolla terminating in five lobes

Illustration of stephanotis

Illustration of stephanotis

Examples of stephanotis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The coronation bouquet featured orchids and lily of the valley from England, stephanotis from Scotland, orchids from Wales, and carnations from Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. 5. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2023 Arranged in a teardrop shape, the arrangement included lily of the valley, stephanotis pips, baby blue thistles, white spray roses and trailing ivy. Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, 12 Oct. 2018 Mary stowed away the cake topper, Alan’s stephanotis boutonniere, small mesh bags of rice and mints, a napkin, a flower applique from the curtains and a matchbook and soap from their honeymoon hotel, Chicago’s Drake. Hillary Davis, latimes.com, 27 June 2018 Soon, classic floral scents — rose, lily of the valley, violet, stephanotis — were sold alongside grooming products, bespoke fragrances concocted for wealthy clients in the shop’s cellar. Amy Tara Koch, New York Times, 9 May 2018 Wedding Bouquet: Princess Diana Princess Diana's cascading bouquet of gardenias, stephanotis, orchids, lily of the valley, roses, freesia, veronica, spider lilies, and ivy reportedly weighed two kilos (ahem, that's a whopping four pounds!). Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2017 Princess Diana opted for a waterfall bouquet featuring gardenias, stephanotis, orchids, lily of the valley, roses, freesia, veronica and spider lilies in 1981. Lauren Smith, House Beautiful, 26 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stephanotis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek stephanōtis fit for a crown, from stephanos crown, from stephein to crown

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stephanotis was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near stephanotis

Cite this Entry

“Stephanotis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stephanotis. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on stephanotis

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!