nandina

[ nan-dahy-nuh, -dee-nuh ]

noun

1. a Chinese and Japanese evergreen shrub, Nandina domestica, of the barberry family, having pinnate leaves and bright red berries, cultivated as an ornamental.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nandina¹

< New Latin (1781), the genus name < Japanese dialect nanden, Japanese nanten < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese nántiān ( zhú ); nán south + tiān heaven + zhú bamboo; -a ²