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Glite Dictionary
Bougainvillaea

Bougainvillaea

9.9
A tropical climbing plant with bright, paper-like flowers grown on walls or fences
  • noun
  • /ˌbuːɡənˈvɪliə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bugambilia
  • The garden was alive with colors, thanks to the vibrant Bougainvillaea climbing up the trellis.

Examples

  • In spring, the Bougainvillaea blooms beautifully, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden.

  • She decided to plant Bougainvillaea in her backyard to add a splash of color to her landscape.

  • The mauve "Bougainvillaea" commemorated the commandant; the "Veronica Tristoflora" the astronomer; the "Baretia" the botanist's maid of all work.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

Bougainvillea
vsBougainvillaea
3 9.1

A tropical climbing plant with bright, paper-like flowers often grown in gardens

has identical meaning but uses the alternative traditional spelling

Surface Forms

Bougainvillaea singular
Bougainvillaeas plural

Morphology

Bougainvillaea = Bougainville (opaque) = Bougainville + a

The plant name is an eponym derived from the surname Bougainville, so its meaning is not recoverable from the base word for most learners.

Etymology

Bougainvillaea is named after the French explorer Bougainville, who found the plant in South America and helped bring it to Europe. So the name is like calling it 'Bougainville's plant', which is why this bright garden vine carries his name.