botanical

play

adjective bo·tan·i·cal \ bə-ˈta-ni-kəl \

Definition of botanical

1 :of or relating to plants or botany

2 :derived from plants

3 :species

botanical tulips

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botanically

play \-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See botanical defined for English-language learners

See botanical defined for kids

Recent Examples of botanical from the Web

That's reason alone to nab one of these — but another one would be the ingredient list filled with aloe extract, rose hydrosol and green tea extract (amongst other botanical goodies) which make for a super hydrating and nourishing eye cream.

— sophie wirt, Allure, "7 Eye Creams Under $20 That Really Work," 12 Aug. 2017
Around the turn of the 20th century, a blast of new olfactory chemicals were discovered, though Grasse is known for natural botanical components.

— colleen creamer, New York Times, "A Perfume Devotee in the Land of French Fragrance," 8 Aug. 2017
Visitors are invited to stay late on Aug. 10 for Cocktails and Chrysalis, an event that puts a botanical twist on happy hour.

— sarah gish, kansascity, "Barbecue and beyond: Nine ways to rock a summer staycation in Kansas City," 27 July 2017
The new tropical infusion is made with Teavana black tea, pineapple fruit and botanical blend, and coconutmilk.

— danielle tullo, Cosmopolitan, "OMG, Starbucks Just Dropped a Piña Colada Drink," 24 July 2017
A 33-acre botanical garden. $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, free to members and children ages 12 and under.

— gege reed, The Courier-Journal, "19 kid-friendly activities in Louisville July 20-26," 19 July 2017
Back in May near the corner of Desire and Royal Streets, passers-by encountered this botanical hood ornament affixed to a parked car.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Mysterious weed hood ornament: Got an explanation?," 17 July 2017
Mixing, bottling, and labeling each item by hand, owners Carolyn Mix and Darcy Doniger are botanical beauty experts who can take one look at your face and recommend the right products for your skincare needs.

— sylvie morgan brown, Bon Appetit, "A Weekender's Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Shopping in the Hudson Valley," 10 July 2017
Eileen Kraus knew all the plants by their botanical names.

— kenneth r. gosselin, courant.com, "Eileen Kraus, a Banker Who Broke Barriers, Dies," 8 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'botanical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of botanical

French botanique, from Greek botanikos of herbs, from botanē pasture, herb, from boskein to feed, graze; probably akin to Lithuanian guotas flock

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1627

See Words from the same year

botanical

noun

Definition of botanical

:a plant part or extract used especially in skin and hair care products; also :a medicinal preparation derived from a plant

Recent Examples of botanical from the Web

Fortunately there are plenty of great beard-specific shampoos out there that use special botanicals to help soften the hair and keep it from getting dried out.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "How to Care for Your Beard," 16 Aug. 2017
From the potent powers of botanicals to the challenge of DIY bottling, here is a lesson in the craft behind your cocktails.

— karla peterson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego gets into the spirit with craft distillery tours," 11 Aug. 2017
Plus, the combination of all those sweet-smelling botanicals doubles as your perfume.

— sarah wu, Teen Vogue, "Philip B Weightless Conditioning Water Will Replace Your Leave In Conditioner," 7 Aug. 2017
A perfect spot for a large painting — or any artwork, from a mirror to a grid of photos to a pair of botanicals — is over a lovely console.

— mary carol garrity, kansascity, "Console tables are the perfect fit," 28 July 2017
By then, Castle & Key in Frankfort should have opened and launched a gin, made with botanicals grown on the distillery's property.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "Why Kentucky-made clear spirits, like gin, might be the next 'bourbon'," 25 July 2017
The new tea line offers flavors like pineapple black tea, peach citrus white tea, and strawberry green tea in a move that infuses green, white, or black tea with flavors from teas made from botanicals and fruit.

— mahita gajanan, Fortune, "You Can Get Free Iced Tea at Starbucks on Friday," 12 July 2017
Though all of these new drinks share a yin-yang bittersweet personality, flavors can vary surprisingly, depending on alcohol levels, the array of botanicals in the mix and the power of the bittering agents.

— robert simonson, New York Times, "Red, Wet and Bitter … but Not Campari or Aperol," 30 June 2017
The Blue Butterfly sells products such as crystals, jewelry, herbs, botanicals, oils, incense, tea and salt lamps.

— nancy coltun webster, chicagotribune.com, "Portage: A day at the beach with an ice-cream break," 22 June 2017

First Known Use of botanical

1836

BOTANICAL Defined for English Language Learners

botanical

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adjective

Definition of botanical for English Language Learners

: of or relating to plants or the study of plants
: made from or taken from plants

BOTANICAL Defined for Kids

botanical

play

adjective bo·tan·i·cal \ bə-ˈta-ni-kəl \

Definition of botanical for Students

:of or relating to the study of plants

Medical Dictionary

botanical

play

adjective bo·tan·i·cal \ bə-ˈtan-i-kəl \

variants: also botanic play \bə-ˈtan-ik\

medical Definition of botanical

1 :of or relating to plants or botany

2 :derived from plants

—

botanically

play \-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

botanical

noun

variants: also botanic

medical Definition of botanical

:a medicinal preparation derived from a plant :herbal remedy

The popular botanical ginkgo biloba does not improve memory, nor does it prevent cognitive decline in older people, according to the largest and longest scientific study conducted on the supplement.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2009