ge·ra·ni·um

(jə-rā′nē-əm)

1. Any of various plants of the genus Pelargonium, native chiefly to southern Africa and widely cultivated for their rounded, often variegated leaves and showy clusters of red, pink, or white irregular flowers. An essential oil is obtained from the leaves of some species. Also called pelargonium, storksbill.

2. Any of various plants of the genus Geranium, having palmately divided leaves and pink or purplish regular flowers. Also called cranesbill.

3. A strong to vivid red.

[New Latin Geranium, genus name (under which Linnaeus included both Geranium and Pelargonium, later separated), from Latin geranium, a species of geranium (G. tuberosum), cranesbill (from the appearance of its seed capsule ), from Greek geranion, diminutive of geranos, crane; see gerə- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

geranium

(dʒɪˈreɪnɪəm)

1. (Plants) any cultivated geraniaceous plant of the genus Pelargonium, having scarlet, pink, or white showy flowers. See also pelargonium, rose geranium, lemon geranium

2. (Plants) any geraniaceous plant of the genus Geranium, such as cranesbill and herb Robert, having divided leaves and pink or purplish flowers

3. (Colours) a strong red to a moderate or strong pink colour

[C16: from Latin: cranesbill, from Greek geranion, from geranos crane]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ge•ra•ni•um

(dʒɪˈreɪ ni əm)

n.

1. Also called crane's-bill. any plant of the genus Geranium, having usu. pink or purplish flowers.

2. wild geranium.

3. Also called stork's-bill. any plant of the widely cultivated allied S African genus Pelargonium, having showy red, pink, or white flowers and sometimes fragrant leaves.

4. a vivid red color.

[1540–50; < New Latin, for Latin geranion < Greek geránion, derivative of géranos crane]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

geranium - any of numerous plants of the family Geraniaceae

herb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests

family Geraniaceae, Geraniaceae, geranium family - chiefly herbaceous plants

crane's bill, cranesbill - any of numerous geraniums of the genus Geranium

Pelargonium graveolens, rose geranium, sweet-scented geranium - any of several southern African geraniums having fragrant three-lobed to five-lobed leaves and pink flowers

bedding geranium, fish geranium, Pelargonium hortorum, zonal pelargonium - an upright geranium having scalloped leaves with a broad color zone inside the margin and white or pink or red flowers

hanging geranium, ivy geranium, ivy-leaved geranium, Pelargonium peltatum - a commonly cultivated trailing South American plant with peltate leaves and rosy flowers

apple geranium, nutmeg geranium, Pelargonium odoratissimum - geranium with round fragrant leaves and small white flowers

lemon geranium, Pelargonium limoneum - a common garden geranium with lemon-scented foliage

heron's bill, storksbill - any of various plants of the genus Erodium

Translations

جيرانيوم

muškát

geranium

pelargonia

geranij

ゼラニウム

제라늄

geranium

gerânio

герань

pelargon

ต้นเจอเรเนียมมีดอกสีชมพูหรือสีม่วง

sardunya

cây phong lữ

天竺葵

geranium

[dʒɪˈreɪnɪəm] N → geranio m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

geranium

[dʒɪˈreɪniəm] n → géranium m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

geranium

n → Geranie f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

geranium

[dʒɪˈreɪnɪəm] n → geranio

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

geranium

→ جيرانيوم muškát geranium Geranie γεράνι geranio pelargonia géranium geranij geranio ゼラニウム 제라늄 geranium geranium geranium gerânio герань pelargon ต้นเจอเรเนียมมีดอกสีชมพูหรือสีม่วง sardunya cây phong lữ 天竺葵

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

What is the name of that geranium on the window-sill, please?"

View in context

Then she recrossed the floor and lifted two of the geranium pots in her arms, moving them away from the cold window.

View in context

The turf was hemmed with an edge of scarlet geranium and coleus, and cast-iron vases painted in chocolate colour, standing at intervals along the winding path that led to the sea, looped their garlands of petunia and ivy geranium above the neatly raked gravel.

View in context

She was dressed prettily and carefully, with the customary touch of color in the scarlet geranium at her white throat.

View in context

He wore a silk hat and a frock coat, the lapel of which was adorned with a white geranium surrounded by leaves.

View in context

Each of these pretty homes had a garden in front fenced with white palings and opulently stocked with hollyhocks, marigolds, touch-me-nots, prince's-feathers, and other old-fashioned flowers; while on the windowsills of the houses stood wooden boxes containing moss rose plants and terra-cotta pots in which grew a breed of geranium whose spread of intensely red blossoms accented the prevailing pink tint of the rose-clad house-front like an explosion of flame.

View in context

But it came out, through my admiring a very fine cluster of geranium--beautiful cluster of geranium to be sure--which he had brought from his conservatory.

View in context

The girl held a geranium leaf up to her nose and said nothing, but looked knowing and noncommittal.

View in context

Nay, the acute observer might have recognized the little red nose of good-natured Miss Jemima Pinkerton herself, rising over some geranium pots in the window of that lady's own drawing-room.

View in context

Up under the wooden ceiling there were little half-windows with white curtains, and pots of geraniums and wandering Jew in the deep sills.

View in context

To this nest of comforts Fanny now walked down to try its influence on an agitated, doubting spirit, to see if by looking at Edmund's profile she could catch any of his counsel, or by giving air to her geraniums she might inhale a breeze of mental strength herself.

View in context

Diana Barry, rosy and dimpled, shadowed by the faithful Fred; Jane Andrews, neat and sensible and plain; Ruby Gillis, looking her handsomest and brightest in a cream silk blouse, with red geraniums in her golden hair; Gilbert Blythe and Charlie Sloane, both trying to keep as near the elusive Anne as possible; Carrie Sloane, looking pale and melancholy because, so it was reported, her father would not allow Oliver Kimball to come near the place; Moody Spurgeon MacPherson, whose round face and objectionable ears were as round and objectionable as ever; and Billy Andrews, who sat in a corner all the evening, chuckled when any one spoke to him, and watched Anne Shirley with a grin of pleasure on his broad, freckled countenance.

View in context