hyacinth

noun

hy·​a·​cinth ˈhī-ə-(ˌ)sin(t)th 

-sən(t)th

1

a

: 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 asparagus family that is native to the Mediterranean region but is widely grown for its dense spikes of fragrant flowers compare grape hyacinth, water hyacinth

3

: a light violet to moderate purple

hyacinthine

ˌhī-ə-ˈsin(t)-thən 

adjective

Illustration of hyacinth

• hyacinth 2b

Examples of hyacinth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The house, which sat on six acres of land, had eight fireplaces, a gazebo, a volleyball court, and a swimming pool with a diving board, and was surrounded by hyacinths, wisteria, and cherry trees. — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Equally as eye-catching as her dress was her hairpiece, a wreath of white hyacinth that trailed down her elegant ponytail. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 17 Aug. 2026

Plants to avoid include lilies, sago palm, oleander, azaleas, rhododendrons, poinsettia, autumn crocus, cyclamen, kalanchoe, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, dieffenbachia, philodendron and pothos. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026

Surrounding the bride and groom was a riot of flowers including peonies and hyacinths from the historic Di Peri floricultural company in Villabate. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 7 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin hyacinthus, a precious stone, a flowering plant, from Greek hyakinthos

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hyacinth

• grape hyacinth
• water hyacinth
• wild hyacinth

Rhymes for hyacinth

• labyrinth
• plinth
• synth

Kids Definition

hyacinth

noun

hy·​a·​cinth ˈhī-ə-(ˌ)sin(t)th 

1

: a red or brownish gem

2

: 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