magnolia

mag·no·lia | \ mag-ˈnōl-yə

How to pronounce magnolia (audio)

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Definition of magnolia

: any of a genus (Magnolia of the family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of American and Asian shrubs and trees with entire evergreen or deciduous leaves and usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers usually appearing in early spring

Examples of magnolia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lighten up your home with a blend of lavender, magnolia, bergamot, and lemon essential oils. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "How to Make a Homemade Reed Diffuser That'll Fill Your House With a Scent You Love," 31 Jan. 2020 Other flowers that went on to flourish in the mid-Cretaceous looked similar to magnolias, buttercups, and laurels (but were also nothing like them). — Jess Romeo, Popular Science, "To remain hidden, these beetles sparkle like jewels," 15 Nov. 2019 Locken wore $3 million worth of jewelry by Joe Pacetti Precious Jewels — sparkling in diamonds and emeralds (a sentimental nod to the magnolia leaf, the favorite flower of Locken’s late grandmother). — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, "LeeAnne Locken's Wedding: Watch the Real Housewives of Dallas Star's Emotional Vows," 6 Nov. 2019 Aspidistra leaves, folded and manipulated to resemble ribbons, create a long-lasting wreath. Gilded pinecones and magnolia pods grace the wreath trimmed with cranberry red ribbon. — Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, "Post office unveils holiday stamps," 27 Oct. 2019 To echo that floral lineage, Caporicci procures a magnolia essence from Mandy Aftel at Aftelier Perfumes in Berkeley. — Ali Bouzari, SFChronicle.com, "The molecular science behind a Larkspur shop’s blueberry ice cream," 27 Sep. 2019 The current owner of 159 Crescent Street (second from right) points out the features of a bigleaf magnolia on her property. — Melanie Savage, courant.com, "Willimantic Shows Off Its Victorian-Era Assets," 27 Sep. 2019 The scent of a winner’s confidence is as aromatic as bacon frying on the grill, while the stench of creeping pessimism cannot be masked by a whole grove of magnolia trees. — Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, "Kiszla: Nathan MacKinnon declares Avs’ time to win big is now: “You’ve got to know you’re good to be good. And we’ve got that swag.”," 9 Oct. 2019 The sapling was placed on the South Lawn by a magnolia tree that President Andrew Jackson planted in the 1830s. — Los Angeles Times, "For 156 years, a mighty oak in Virginia has stood as a symbol of freedom across the nation," 26 Sep. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near magnolia

magnolia warbler

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Last Updated

14 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Magnolia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnolia. Accessed 22 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for magnolia

magnolia

noun

English Language Learners Definition of magnolia

: a tree or tall bush that has white, pink, yellow, or purple flowers

See the full definition for magnolia in the English Language Learners Dictionary

magnolia

mag·no·lia | \ mag-ˈnōl-yə

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Kids Definition of magnolia

: a tree or tall shrub having showy white, pink, yellow, or purple flowers that appear in early spring

magnolia

mag·no·lia | \ mag-ˈnōl-yə

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Medical Definition of magnolia

1 capitalized : a genus (family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of North American and Asian shrubs and trees including some whose bark has been used especially as a bitter tonic and diaphoretic in folk medicine

2a : any shrub or tree of the genus Magnolia

b : the dried bark of a magnolia

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