Definitions

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

  • noun A deciduous Chinese tree (Magnolia denudata) often cultivated for its large, cup-shaped, fragrant white flowers.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A Chinese magnolia, Magnolia conspicua, with abundant large white flowers, appearing in spring before the leaves.

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

  • noun (Bot.) A species of Magnolia (Magnolia conspicua) with large white blossoms that open before the leaves. See the Note under magnolia.

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

  • noun botany A species of magnolia with large white blossoms that open before the leaves.

Etymologies

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

[Mandarin yùlán : , jade (from Middle Chinese ŋywk) + lán, orchid (from Middle Chinese lan).]

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Examples

  • The architectural garden should contain standard rose trees, almond trees, double-blossomed peaches and cherries, the Chinese magnolia, or yulan tree, and other showy-flowering trees, planted in company with arbutus, phillyrea, Minorca box, and other evergreens of a similar character.

    The Lady's Country Companion: or, How to Enjoy a Country Life Rationally Jane 1845

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