araucaria

ar·au·car·ia | \ ˌa-ˌrȯ-ˈka-rē-ə

, ˌer-ȯ- \

Definition of araucaria

: any of a genus (Araucaria of the family Araucariaceae, the araucaria family) of South American or Australian coniferous trees that resemble pines and are often grown as ornamentals especially : monkey puzzle

History and Etymology for araucaria

borrowed from New Latin, from Araucānus araucanian (borrowed from Spanish araucano) + -āria -ary entry 1

Note: Genus name introduced by the French botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita (Paris, 1789), pp. 413-14. Jussieu adapted the name from Juan Ignacio Molinaʼs Saggio sulla storia naturale del Chili (Bologna, 1782): "Il Pehuen, Pinus Araucana … nasce spontaneamente presso gli Araucani, e si coltiva nelle altre parti del Regno" ("The Pehuen, Pinus Araucana … grows naturally near the Araucanians, and is cultivated in the other parts of the country") (p. 182).

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about araucaria

Dictionary Entries near araucaria

Statistics for araucaria

Cite this Entry

“Araucaria.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/araucaria. Accessed 10 December 2019.