rhododendron

Etymology

The obsolete sense derives from Latin rhododendron (“oleander”), from Ancient Greek ῥοδόδενδρον (rhodódendron, “oleander”), from ῥόδον (rhódon, “rose”) + δένδρον (déndron, “tree”). The modern sense comes through the intermediary of the genus name Rhododendron.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɹoʊdəˈdɛndɹən/

Noun

rhododendron (plural rhododendrons)

1. (obsolete) Oleander (Nerium oleander).
2. Any of various flowering shrubs in the genus Rhododendron.

References

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin rhododendron, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ῥοδόδενδρον (rhodódendron).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɔ.dɔ.dɑ̃.dʁɔ̃/

• Audio

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• Audio (Paris)

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Noun

rhododendron m (plural rhododendrons)

1. rhododendron

Further reading

• “rhododendron” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).