: a precious stone of the ancients sometimes held to be the sapphire
b
: a gem zircon or hessonite
2
a
: a plant of the ancients held to be a lily, iris, larkspur, or gladiolus
b
: a bulbous perennial herb (Hyacinthus orientalis) of the lily family that is native to the Mediterranean region but is widely grown for its dense spikes of fragrant flowers compare grape hyacinth, water hyacinth
Recent Examples on the WebWhich pink flowers attract the most pollinators? Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love sweetly scented blooms like phlox, hyacinth, and peonies as well as blossoms from flowering shrubs like daphne and azaleas.—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2024 Early blooming, budding plants and trees cause allergies earlier in the year and are disrupting years of synchronicity between pollinators and plants that need them for reproduction.
Tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth begin blooming toward the end of March.—Veronica Bravo, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024 Often, my father would go on about the wildlife in the park: the chestnut and elm trees around the perimeter, hyacinths, daffodils, rhododendrons.—Nicolaia Rips, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024 Since opening in 2007, the garden has introduced additional blooms to the mix, like hyacinths and daffodils — and all are on full display during the annual Kashmir Tulip Festival.—Catherine Garcia, theweek, 15 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hyacinth
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hyacinth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin hyacinthus, a precious stone, a flowering plant, from Greek hyakinthos
: a common garden plant that grows from a bulb, is related to the lilies, and is widely grown for its showy dense spikes of fragrant bell-shaped flowers compare grape hyacinth, water hyacinth
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