magnolia

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noun mag·no·lia \ mag-ˈnōl-yə \

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

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Recent Examples of magnolia from the Web

A Question to Dan Gill: My Japanese magnolia tree is losing its leaves and also has a lot of brownish-black spotting on the leaves.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "Why do Japanese magnolia trees lose leaves and gain spots in the summer?," 29 July 2017
Within the 75 acres are blooming vanilla and Mexican magnolia — making it the only garden in the world to showcase that flower.

— marlise kast-myers, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Second time's the charm for Puerta Vallarta honeymoon," 26 July 2017
Combined with rice bran rxtract, oat, lily, jasmine, orange flower, elder flower, and magnolia, the luxe potion also softens and evens skin texture and tone.

— macaela mackenzie, Allure, "It Only Took 3 Weeks For This K-Beauty Mask to Sell Out After Entering Ulta," 20 July 2017
Beauty is evident in the divine-like images of nature in Walter Inglis Anderson's distinct watercolors, with palmettos and other trees, magnolia seed pods, cicadas, hummingbirds and a jumping frog.

— elizabeth kramer, The Courier-Journal, "Speed Art Museum's ambitious Southern Accent show is a 'jukebox experience'," 12 July 2017
Dig your little magnolia and place it in a container.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Bring peace lilies back with a little trimming," 8 July 2017
Be sure to include flowering trees, such as native magnolias, hollies, American fringe tree, redbud, black cherry and American persimmon.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "How to attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators to your garden," 24 June 2017
Non-natives -- like crape myrtles, Taiwan flowering cherry, Japanese magnolia and vitex -- also are excellent for pollinators.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "How to attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators to your garden," 24 June 2017
Sweetbay magnolia and sassafras trees have materialized.

— jane margolies, New York Times, "Rooftop Terrace at Brooklyn Children’s Museum Is Set to Open," 15 June 2017

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.

Illustration of magnolia

Origin and Etymology of magnolia

New Latin, from Pierre Magnol †1715 French botanist

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First Known Use: 1739

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MAGNOLIA Defined for English Language Learners

magnolia

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noun

Definition of magnolia for English Language Learners

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

MAGNOLIA Defined for Kids

magnolia

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noun mag·no·lia \ mag-ˈnōl-yə \

Definition of magnolia for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

magnolia

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noun mag·no·lia \ mag-ˈnōl-yə \

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

2 a :any shrub or tree of the genus Magnolia

b :the dried bark of a magnolia

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Spanish Central: Translation of magnolia Nglish: Translation of magnolia for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about magnolia

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magnolia

Definition of magnolia

Recent Examples of magnolia from the Web

Illustration of magnolia

Origin and Etymology of magnolia

MAGNOLIA Defined for English Language Learners

magnolia

Definition of magnolia for English Language Learners

MAGNOLIA Defined for Kids

magnolia

Definition of magnolia for Students

Medical Dictionary

magnolia

medical Definition of magnolia

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magnolia

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magnolia

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magnolia

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magnolia

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