banksia

noun

bank·​sia ˈbaŋ(k)-sē-ə How to pronounce banksia (audio)
: any of a genus (Banksia) of Australian evergreen trees or shrubs of the protea family with alternate leathery leaves and flowers in dense cylindrical heads

Examples of banksia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s a coral tree, a banksia, a puka, a Blackwood acacia and three different palms. Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, 25 May 2020 The carpenter bees need the longstanding banksias to carry them through multiple seasons. National Geographic, 17 Jan. 2020 The banksia plant, which the bees use for nests, have burned. Anchorage Daily News, 10 Jan. 2020 Rainbow lorikeets and bright pink galah cockatoos flitted between eucalyptus trees and banksia blossoms that resembled giant yellow and orange candles. Margo Pfeiff, latimes.com, 25 Feb. 2018 Some plants, like banksia, release seeds out of woody capsules when heated, while others, including some orchids, flower after stimulation by a fire. C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, genus name, from Sir Joseph Banks

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of banksia was in 1783

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Cite this Entry

“Banksia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banksia. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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