hollyhock

 
Pronunciation: /ˈhɒlɪhɒk/

noun

  • a tall Eurasian plant of the mallow family, with large showy flowers.
    • Alcea rosea, family Malvaceae

Origin:

Middle English: from holy + obsolete hock 'mallow', of unknown origin. It originally denoted the marsh mallow which has medicinal uses (hence, perhaps, the use of 'holy'); the current sense dates from the mid 16th century