magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
| \ mag-ˈnōl-yə
\
\
Definition of magnolia
: any of a genus (Magnolia of the family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of American and Asian shrubs and trees with entire evergreen or deciduous leaves and usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers usually appearing in early spring
Illustration of magnolia
Examples of magnolia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Among its charms are the original prewar floors and wall moldings and the magnolia tree that blooms right outside the couple’s living room. — Samantha Weiss Hills, Curbed, "15 bedroom decor ideas to steal now," 19 Aug. 2019 Nearly 2,000 new students at the University of Texas at Dallas walked through the heart of the campus and its main arteries -- marked by long stretches of fountains and aisles of magnolia trees -- on their way to Sunday’s welcoming convocation. — María Méndez, Dallas News, "How UT Dallas evolved from a small research center into one of the fastest-growing universities in just 50 years," 18 Aug. 2019 One of the results of her investigations is the Magnolia kobus Janaki Ammal, a magnolia shrub with flowers of bright white petals and purple stamens. — Leila Mcneill, Smithsonian, "The Pioneering Female Botanist Who Sweetened a Nation and Saved a Valley," 1 Aug. 2019 However, a most exciting thing happened in my yard recently: A mama mourning dove has made her nest in the magnolia tree in my back patio. — Jane Napier Neely, La Cañada Valley Sun, "The Valley Line: Orthopaedic Guild members help mark a grand opening," 5 Aug. 2019 Her memory is preserved in the delicate white magnolias named after her, and a newly developed, yellow-petaled rose hybrid that now blooms in her name. — Leila Mcneill, Smithsonian, "The Pioneering Female Botanist Who Sweetened a Nation and Saved a Valley," 1 Aug. 2019 Some townspeople felt bad and brought him a bouquet of magnolias in the hospital. — Cian Maher, The Verge, "Welcome to Lower Duck Pond, a fake town of 82,000 people," 1 Aug. 2019 Your best bet will be to turn to upright shrubs or small trees such as Oakland hollies or Teddy Bear magnolias. — Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, "How to care for amaryllis bulbs," 26 July 2019 There’s a Lazy Susan in my refrigerator that holds a heaving array of condiments like gochujang, achiote paste, homemade pickled magnolia flowers, and French mayonnaise (the best kind). — Isabelle O'carroll, Bon Appétit, "How Cooking Made Me See My ADHD as a Talent Instead of a Shame," 10 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'magnolia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for magnolia
magnolia
noun
English Language Learners Definition of magnolia
: a tree or tall bush that has white, pink, yellow, or purple flowers
See the full definition for magnolia in the English Language Learners Dictionary
magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
| \ mag-ˈnōl-yə
\
\
Kids Definition of magnolia
: a tree or tall shrub having showy white, pink, yellow, or purple flowers that appear in early spring
magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
| \ mag-ˈnōl-yə
\
\
Medical Definition of magnolia
1
capitalized
: a genus (family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of North American and Asian shrubs and trees including some whose bark has been used especially as a bitter tonic and diaphoretic in folk medicine
2a
: any shrub or tree of the genus Magnolia
b
: the dried bark of a magnolia
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