liriope

noun

li·​ri·​ope lə-ˈrī-ə-(ˌ)pē How to pronounce liriope (audio)
: any of a genus (Liriope) of stemless Asian herbs of the lily family that are widely cultivated as ground cover for their grasslike leaves and small white, blue, or violet flowers

Examples of liriope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Her friends planted the liriope and placed the stones around it, and plan to put in grass seed in the spring. Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023 Metcalf pointed to a mounded grave covered in small stones and liriope. Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023 Pool Garden Linden trees are pleached and underplanted with liriope, while boxwood hedges frame pink annuals. Owen Holmes, House Beautiful, 23 Mar. 2023 Plants with interesting leaves such as Japanese maple, liriope, and clumping bamboo also contribute authenticity to the Zen scene. Savanna Bous, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Aug. 2022 Conventionally, grass is replaced with a wide area of a single ground cover, such as pachysandra, myrtle, or liriope. Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2022 All types of liriope do eventually spread, some just more rapidly than others. Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Jan. 2022 My liriope and its sister, monkeygrass, rarely sneak past it. Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Jan. 2022 What is causing the variegation in my liriope to change to all-green leaves? Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'liriope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Liriope, a nymph in Roman mythology

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of liriope was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near liriope

Cite this Entry

“Liriope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liriope. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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