hibiscus

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noun hi·bis·cus \ hī-ˈbi-skəs , hə- \

Definition of hibiscus

:any of a large genus (Hibiscus) of herbs, shrubs, or small trees of the mallow family with large showy flowers and usually dentate leaves

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Recent Examples of hibiscus from the Web

A perfect summer starter, the Red Bell Pepper Citrus Chilled Soup features blood orange, Meyer lemon, lime, citrus crème fraiche and hibiscus crystals.

— laurie delk, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Cool dishes to beat the heat," 29 Aug. 2017
Wash it all down with housemade sorrel, a perky drink made from hibiscus, cloves and ginger.

— compiled by malcolm mayhew, star-telegram, "August’s restaurant news features new openings, DFW Restaurant Week," 2 Aug. 2017
This one contains hibiscus and rosehip extracts to even out skin tone, banish fine lines, and promote skin's natural elasticity.

— bella gerard, Health.com, "The 4 Anti-Aging Serums That Give This Instagram Star a Youthful Glow," 20 July 2017
The flowers of the hibiscus are the real showstopper.

— dennis patton, kansascity, "Hardy hibiscus provides great summer color," 14 July 2017
The store’s best-selling canned wine so far is called Social, a sparkling sake that’s comes in flavors including pink grapefruit ginger, hibiscus cucumber and toasted almond coconut.

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Julian bakery offers canned wine," 12 July 2017
Don’t forget to look down, The hibiscus flower at the bottom of the pool was crafted using 630,000 mosaic tiles.

— jay jones, latimes.com, "Island by island, a guide to some of the best hotel pools in Hawaii," 5 July 2017
Ruby water with mixed red fruits and hibiscus flowers Makes 32 ounces.

— ann maloney, NOLA.com, "Ruby water with mixed red fruits and hibiscus recipe," 28 June 2017
Your taste buds just stop firing properly, leaving you to helplessly swish and gargle your beer in a doomed attempt to detect its subtle notes of hibiscus.

— the editors of gq, GQ, "13 Reasons Why American Beer Is the Best Beer," 23 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

There are about 250 species of shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants in the genus Hibiscus, which belongs to the mallow family. They are native to warm temperate and tropical regions. Several are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy flowers. The tropical Chinese or Hawaiian hibiscus, which is also called China rose, has large, somewhat bell-shaped reddish blossoms. The East African hibiscus, a drooping shrub, is often grown in hanging baskets indoors.