oleander

noun ole·an·der \ ˈō-lē-ˌan-dər , ˌō-lē-ˈan- \

|Updated on: 26 Jun 2018

Definition of oleander

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

See oleander defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of oleander from the Web

By the spring of 1946, within a year of the bombing of Hiroshima, red oleander was blooming once more.

— Daily Intelligencer, "This Is What a Nuclear Bomb Looks Like," 12 June 2018
Then the landscape changes to bone-dry river beds lined with palms and oleander, before, finally, becoming rust-hued desert.

— jen murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, "Hiking the Jordan Trail to Petra," 25 Apr. 2018
For a 3- to 5-foot hedge, consider dwarf yaupon holly, Chinese mahonia, dwarf sasanqua, dwarf oleander, azaleas, Indian hawthorn, nandina and Rotunda holly.

— NOLA.com, "How to plant some privacy: 4 tips for growing a hedge," 27 Jan. 2018
Keep an eye on the forecast before taking the clippers to that dead wood on lantana, hibiscus, es-peranza, duranta, plumbago, oleander and firebush.

— kathy huber, Houston Chronicle, "After the freeze comes the cleanup in the garden," 19 Jan. 2018
For hedges 6- to 10-feet tall, ligustrum, cleyera, camellia, sasanqua, oleander, dwarf Burford holly, gardenia, pittosporum, and Indian azaleas are possible choices.

— NOLA.com, "How to plant some privacy: 4 tips for growing a hedge," 27 Jan. 2018
Mid- to late winter provides an excellent opportunity to prune most hedges, as well as shrubs and shade trees not grown for flowers, and summer-flowering trees and shrubs, such as crape myrtles, oleander, vitex, althea and abelia.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "When is the best time to prune fig trees?," 23 Dec. 2017
Behind us, Nestor’s palace is surrounded by flowering oleander trees and is covered with an impressive new metal roof, completed just in time for the site’s reopening to the public in June 2016 after a three-year, multimillion-euro restoration.

— myrto papadopoulos, Smithsonian, "This 3,500-Year-Old Greek Tomb Upended What We Thought We Knew About the Roots of Western Civilization," 30 Sep. 2017
Then, according to the paper: A few minutes later, officers noticed the boy hiding in the backyard, near an oleander bush, and chased him, [police spokesman Jay] Rivera said.

— monique judge, The Root, "What Really Happened to 16-Year-Old Anthony Garrett?," 18 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of oleander

Medieval Latin, alteration of arodandrum, lorandrum, perhaps alteration of Latin rhododendron — more at rhododendron

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First Known Use: 1545

in the meaning defined above

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OLEANDER Defined for English Language Learners

oleander

noun

Definition of oleander for English Language Learners

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

Medical 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