dahlia

[ dal-yuh, dahl-or, especially British, deyl- ]

noun

1. any composite plant of the genus Dahlia, native to Mexico and Central America and widely cultivated for its showy, variously colored flower heads.
2. the flower or tuberous root of a dahlia.
3. a pale violet or amethyst color.

adjective

1. of the color dahlia.

dahlia

/ ˈdeɪljə /

noun

1. any herbaceous perennial plant of the Mexican genus Dahlia , having showy flowers and tuberous roots, esp any horticultural variety derived from D. pinnata : family Asteraceae (composites)
2. the flower or root of any of these plants

Word History and Origins

Origin of dahlia¹

1791; < New Latin, named after Anders Dahl (died 1789), Swedish botanist; -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of dahlia¹

C19: named after Anders Dahl, 18th-century Swedish botanist; see -ia

Example Sentences

On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick was joined by Protect Democracy’s Ian Bassin to try to reconcile our split-screen moment: democracy being seen to be done, and the looming decimation of democracy.

From Slate

Dahlia Lithwick: This win was “democratic.”

From Slate

Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus.

From Slate

On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Protect Democracy’s Ian Bassin to discuss navigating the challenges that lie ahead for American democracy, as we collectively struggle to make sense of this pivotal moment and to emerge from the fog with a flicker of hope.

From Slate

Dr Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli political analyst, told the BBC there was "no question" the law was intended to apply to Israeli Arabs and Palestinians.

From BBC

Related Words

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