oleander

noun

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ole·an·der | \ ˈō-lē-ˌan-dər

, ˌō-lē-ˈan- \

Definition of oleander

: a poisonous evergreen shrub (Nerium oleander) of the dogbane family with clusters of fragrant white to red flowers

Examples of oleander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This year the list is longer and includes more cold-hardy plants such as oleander, rosemary, blue plumbago, viburnum, lantana, roses, shrimp plant, roses and Turks cap. — Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio: Advice for your freeze-damaged lawn, butterfly garden and more," 19 Mar. 2021 As the coronavirus crisis deepened, Lindell caught flak in August for championing the unproven treatment of oleander after investing in a company that produced a compound from it. — Steve Karnowski, ajc, "MyPillow Guy among the Trump acolytes picking up the torch," 23 Jan. 2021 Oleandrin is extracted from the plant Nerium oleander. — Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, "Watch Anderson Cooper Tear Apart This CEO For Peddling A COVID-19 “Cure,” As A Treat," 18 Aug. 2020 Will the leaves and flowers from the oleander that fall into the swimming pool contaminate the pool water? — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Should you cull oleander from yard? It can be poisonous -- but only if you eat it," 7 Oct. 2020 Oleandrin is derived from Nerium oleander, a popular flowering Mediterranean shrub responsible for many cases of accidental poisoning. — Heather Murphy New York Times, Star Tribune, "Doctors warn that oleandrin, touted by Trump, is deadly plant chemical," 27 Aug. 2020 But oleander is particularly dangerous, because ingesting any part of the plant can lead to serious illness and possibly death. — Popular Science, "Oleandrin won’t cure coronavirus," 20 Aug. 2020 Even consuming a single Nerium oleander leaf can kill you. — Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, "Watch Anderson Cooper Tear Apart This CEO For Peddling A COVID-19 “Cure,” As A Treat," 18 Aug. 2020 Particularly worrisome is the idea that consumers may misinterpret any publicity surrounding oleander and try to self-medicate with this highly poisonous plant. — Popular Science, "Oleandrin won’t cure coronavirus," 20 Aug. 2020

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

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Last Updated

28 Mar 2021

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“Oleander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oleander. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for oleander

oleander

noun

English Language Learners Definition of oleander

: a bush with long, narrow leaves and white, pink, or yellow flowers

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

oleander

noun

ole·an·der | \ ˈō-lē-ˌan-dər, ˌō-lē-ˈ

Medical Definition of oleander

: a poisonous evergreen shrub (Nerium oleander) of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) with fragrant white to red flowers that contains oleandrin and was formerly used in medicine