Definitions

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

  • noun Any of several woody shrubs or vines of the genus Bougainvillea of Central and South America, having small flowers surrounded by large usually bright red or purple bracts.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A nyctaginaceous genus of climbing shrubs, natives of tropical and subtropical South America.

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

  • noun Any of several South American flowering shrubs or lianas, of the genus Bougainvillea, having three showy, colorful bracts attached below each group of three inconspicuous flowers.

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

  • noun any of several South American ornamental woody vines of the genus Bougainvillea having brilliant red or purple flower bracts; widely grown in warm regions

Etymologies

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

[New Latin Bougainvillea, genus name, after Louis Antoine de Bougainville.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Named after French admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811).

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Examples

  • The bougainvillea were an explosion of purple, pink, crimson, and all the shades in between, in the bright, hot, and unrelenting sun.

    Nomad Ayaan Hirsi Ali 2010

  • The bougainvillea were an explosion of purple, pink, crimson, and all the shades in between, in the bright, hot, and unrelenting sun.

    Nomad Ayaan Hirsi Ali 2010

  • The bougainvillea were an explosion of purple, pink, crimson, and all the shades in between, in the bright, hot, and unrelenting sun.

    Nomad Ayaan Hirsi Ali 2010

  • Then you'd realize that "bougainvillea" is ... etcetera etcetera etcetera...

    Archive 2007-04-01 2007

  • Watch out for cold, clear nights and protect tender plants such as bougainvillea, citrus, fuchsias and succulents that are open to the sky and vulnerable to frost.

    SFGate: Top News Stories Katherine Grace Endicott 2011

  • Watch out for cold, clear nights and protect tender plants such as bougainvillea, citrus, fuchsias and succulents that are open to the sky and vulnerable to frost.

    SFGate: Top News Stories Katherine Grace Endicott 2011

  • When frost is expected, protect tender garden plants such as bougainvillea, citrus, fuchsia and succulents by covering them.

    SFGate: Top News Stories Katherine Grace Endicott 2010

  • Larger shrubs such as bougainvillea, lace hydrangea and hibiscus provide structure in the garden, though Varone is still waiting for the Knockout roses to fill in.

    Berks county news 2010

  • Immaculate lawns are punctuated with palms and other carefully selected native plants and trees, such as bougainvillea, frangipanis and climbers, to provide a balance of fragrance, colour and shade.

    Saylow's Blog 2008

  • Immaculate lawns are punctuated with palms and other carefully selected native plants and trees, such as bougainvillea, frangipanis and climbers, to provide a balance of fragrance, colour and shade.

    Saylow's Blog 2008

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