azalea

American  

[uh-zeyl-yuh] / əˈzeɪl yə /

noun

1. any of numerous shrubs belonging to a particular group (Azalea) of the genus Rhododendron, of the heath family, comprising species with handsome flower clusters of various colors, some of which are familiar in cultivation: the group was formerly the botanical genus Azalea but is now a horticultural classification.

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azalea British  

/ əˈzeɪljə /

noun

1. any ericaceous plant of the group Azalea, formerly a separate genus but now included in the genus Rhododendron: cultivated for their showy pink or purple flowers

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Etymology

Origin of azalea

1750–60; < New Latin < Greek azaléa, noun use of feminine of azaléos dry; so named because it grows in dry soil

Example Sentences

He might be plucking an azalea in “Freud’s Last Session,” or watching a grandson fly a model rocket in “Armageddon Time.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2024

Raymond Yoshimura would go on to hybridize several plants, including the Mission Bell azalea that became a popular draw for the nursery, Swanton said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2023

Years ago, whenever an evergreen azalea was transplanted out of a protected nursery area into the garden-to-be, the animals would have at it.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 23, 2022

“I like all flowers except for white ones,” she pronounces while standing next to a neon magenta azalea.

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2021

Someday when we owned a house, I would get my mother an azalea plant so she could start her own garden.

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata