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

In Moran’s leafy northwest Washington neighborhood, a profusion of rainbow flags and Pride Month bunting blossomed from windows and storefronts, as bright and cheery as the brilliant dogwoods and lustrous azalea bushes.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2023

The beauty of the estate’s setting is alluring in its own right, especially during spring, with Winterthur’s celebrated azalea woods and peony garden in bloom.

From Washington Post • May 4, 2022

He even had to take a left-handed swing at the 13th after knocking his ball onto the pine straw behind the green, right up next to an azalea.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2022

I moved through cam- phorweed and wild azalea, stepping over fire-ant mounds and swinging the smoker while he lifted the lids off the hives and peered inside looking for capped frames.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd