Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various chiefly tropical shrubs or trees of the genus Hibiscus of the mallow family, having large, showy, variously colored flowers with numerous stamens united into a tube surrounding the style.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A large genus of polypetalous dicotyledonous plants (herbs, shrubs, or trees), of the natural order Malvaceæ, and the type of the tribe Hibisceœ.
  • noun [lowercase] A plant of this genus.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) A genus of plants (herbs, shrubs, or trees), some species of which have large, showy flowers. Some species are cultivated in India for their fiber, which is used as a substitute for hemp. See althea, hollyhock, and manoe.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A flower of the genus Hibiscus, found in tropical to temperate regions
  • noun A cocktail made with champagne and cranberry juice.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any plant of the genus Hibiscus

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin Hibīscus, genus name, from Late Latin hibīscus, variant of Latin hibīscum, marsh mallow, perhaps of Celtic origin.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Late Latin hibiscus, from Latin hibiscum, from Ancient Greek βίσκος (biskos, "marsh mallow")

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Examples

  • I cleared the hibiscus from a part of the wall and made a old pendulum clock appear there.

    Mandala « A Fly in Amber 2010

  • (Right) Laura Childress, krewe captain representing hibiscus, is assisted to a display cart during the Aurora Floral Fantasy Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.

    Archive 2006-02-01 2006

  • (Right) Laura Childress, krewe captain representing hibiscus, is assisted to a display cart during the Aurora Floral Fantasy Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.

    Aurora Ball 2006

  • But maybe the hibiscus is sweeter in Mexico? ayyyyyy esperanza

    Aguas Frescas de la Temporada 2003

  • Ay ay ay ... the hibiscus is just as tart in Mexico as anywhere.

    Aguas Frescas de la Temporada 2003

  • Instead of using just pomegranate to produce a sour taste, for instance, she also uses hibiscus, which is also sour but in its own distinctive way.

    Secrets of a Blue-Ribbon Brewmaster Nancy Keates 2011

  • The outer leaves of the hibiscus flower called the hibiscus calyx/ rosella/ natal sorrel/ karkadé is commonly used in many parts of the world to make hot and cold infusions.

    Archive 2008-07-01 Jyothsna 2008

  • The outer leaves of the hibiscus flower called the hibiscus calyx/ rosella/ natal sorrel/ karkadé is commonly used in many parts of the world to make hot and cold infusions.

    Karkade Jyothsna 2008

  • The hibiscus is a flowery bush/plant grown in temperate, tropical or sub-tropical climates.

    Vail Daily - Top Stories 2010

  • The hibiscus is a flowery bush/plant grown in temperate, tropical or sub tropical climates.

    Summit Daily News - Top Stories 2010

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