bougainvillea

noun

bou·​gain·​vil·​lea ˌbü-gən-ˈvil-yə 

ˌbō-, 

ˌbu̇-, 

-ˈvē-ə 

variants or less commonly bougainvillaea

: any of a genus (Bougainvillaea) of the four-o'clock family of ornamental tropical American woody vines and shrubs with brilliant purple or red floral bracts

Examples of bougainvillea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Set the scene Submerged in a wild tangle of lemon trees, palms, honeysuckle, jasmine, and bougainvillea, Signum sprawls across the hillside, its peachy walls blistered by the sun. —Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026

The stark white courtyard bordered by deep green palms and cascading white bougainvillea surrounds a small stone chapel with a beveled cross. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026

Bonus points for the gorgeous magenta bougainvillea that seems to frame nearly every corner of the property. —Annie Daly, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2026

The lush and meticulously kept 12-acre property bursts with bougainvillea and frangipani, meeting the impossibly white sand of the island's Platinum Coast. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Louis Antoine de Bougainville

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bougainvillea

• achillea