spirea

noun

spi·​rea spī-ˈrē-ə How to pronounce spirea (audio)
variants or spiraea
1
: any of a genus (Spiraea) of deciduous shrubs of the rose family with small usually white or pink flowers in dense racemes, corymbs, cymes, or panicles
2
: any of several garden plants resembling spireas
especially : a shrub (Astilbe japonica) of the saxifrage family

Examples of spirea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Japanese spirea, birchleaf spirea, and bumalda spirea are popular members of the summer-flowering group. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2024 How to Prune Summer-Flowering Spirea Summer-flowering spireas begin blooming in early summer and continue flowering sporadically until frost. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2024 Incorporate lilac, lavender, and spirea to provide high value nutrition from May through September. —Peter Gorman, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2024 For white flowers, consider spirea, peonies, star jasmine, and viburnum. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for spirea 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Spiraea, from Latin, a plant, from Greek speiraia

First Known Use

1669, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spirea was in 1669

Dictionary Entries Near spirea

spire

spirea

spirea aphid

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Spirea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirea. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

spirea

noun
spi·​rea
variants or spiraea
spī-ˈrē-ə How to pronounce spirea (audio)
: any of a genus of shrubs related to the roses and having small usually white or pink flowers in dense clusters

More from Merriam-Webster on spirea

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spirea

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