camellia

noun

ca·​mel·​lia kə-ˈmēl-yə 

: any of a genus (Camellia) of shrubs or trees of the tea family

especially : an ornamental greenhouse shrub (C. japonica) with glossy leaves and roselike flowers

Examples of camellia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This makeup remover helps maintain hydration, thanks to tangerine peel extract, squalene, and a blend of traditional Korean oils such as pine nut oil, camellia seed oil, and plum seed oil. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2025

There are evergreen conifers such as yews and junipers and, depending on your local climate, also broadleaf evergreen shrubs such as camellias that create year-round privacy. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025

In January 2025, the cold went all the way to the Gulf Coast, killing citrus trees and freezing the buds off camellias and azaleas. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Aug. 2025

Many common garden plants have popular double-flowered varieties, including roses, peonies, camellias, marigolds, tulips, dahlias and chrysanthemums. —Claire Therese Hemingway, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Camellia, from Camellus (Georg Josef Kamel †1706 Moravian Jesuit missionary)

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for camellia

• melia
• telia
• adelia
• borrelia
• lobelia
• syringomyelia

Kids Definition

camellia

noun

ca·​mel·​lia kə-ˈmēl-yə 

: a greenhouse shrub that is related to the tea plant and has glossy evergreen leaves and showy roselike flowers