rhododendron
/ˌɹəʊdəˈdendɹən/roh-duh-DEN-druhn
/ˌɹoʊdəˈdɛndɹən/roh-duh-DEN-druhn
Meaningrose tree
Common meaning: a flowering evergreen shrub
- rhoda roseLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 1364 · scan
- dendra tree; an oakLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 332 · scan
- onnoun ending (from Latin -o, -onis)
‘a rose’ + ‘a tree’ → rhododendron
Journey through time
Neither part’s path through time is traced in our sources yet; each root is shown from its dictionary entry.
- rhod — Greek ῥόδον “a rose” (dictionary form; path not traced)
- dendr — Greek δένδρον; δρῦς “a tree; an oak” (dictionary form; path not traced)
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Greek ῥόδον ‘a rose’ + Greek δένδρον; δρῦς ‘a tree; an oak’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry δένδρον, p. 332 · dictionary scan
Roots
- δένδρον; δρῦς Greek “a tree; an oak”
- ῥόδον Greek “a rose”
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app