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bougainvillea

Syllabification: (bou·gain·vil·le·a)
Pronunciation: /ˌbo͞ogənˈvilyə, -ˈvēə, ˌbō-/

(also bougainvillaea)
Definition of bougainvillea

noun

  • an ornamental climbing plant that is widely cultivated in the tropics. The insignificant flowers are surrounded by brightly colored papery bracts that persist on the plant for a long time.
    • Genus Bougainvillea, family Nyctaginaceae

Origin:

named after Louis de Bougainville (see Bougainville, Louis Antoine de)

bougainvillea in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of bougainvillea in the British & World English dictionary

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