moonflower

[ moon-flou-er ]

noun

1. a plant, Ipomoea alba, of the morning glory family, having fragrant white flowers that bloom at night.

moonflower

/ ˈmuːnˌflaʊə /

noun

1. any of several night-blooming convolvulaceous plants, esp the white-flowered Calonyction (or Ipomoea ) aculeatum
2. Also calledangels' tears a Mexican solanaceous plant, Datura suaveolens, planted in the tropics for its white night-blooming flowers

Word History and Origins

Origin of moonflower¹

First recorded in 1780–90; moon + flower

Example Sentences

She craned her neck to see all the topiary mazes of moonflower hedges and starfruit trees.

From Literature

She wore her flowing blue housecoat with the moonflower pattern, and she had her makeup on already.

From Literature

In the Amazon, the moonflower cactus spirals around a tree trunk, high above the ground, so that it is above the water line when the forest floods and the water can disperse its seeds.

From New York Times

Other nocturnal blossoms deploy scents like siren calls: The creamy whorls of the moonflower vine hint at vanilla and sunscreen, while the heavy bells of brugmansia are franker and muskier in aura, verging on narcotic.

From New York Times

These include a moonflower, which attracted global interest in February.

From BBC