boneseed

B3O1N1E1S1E1E1D2

noun

An upright shrub in the sunflower family (Osteospermum moniliferum, syn. Chrysanthemoides monilifera), native to South Africa but is an invasive pest in Australia and New Zealand.

OriginAncient Greek ὀστέον →
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Meanings

nounboneseed (countable and uncountable, plural boneseeds)

plural boneseeds

  1. New ZealandcountableuncountableAn upright shrub in the sunflower family (Osteospermum moniliferum, syn. Chrysanthemoides monilifera), native to South Africa but is an invasive pest in Australia and New Zealand.
  2. AustraliacountableuncountableSubspecies Osteospermum moniliferum subsp. monilifera (the subspecies Osteospermum moniliferum subsp. rotundata being known there as bitou bush)

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekσπέρμα“seed”
  2. Ancient Greekὀστέον“bone”
  3. Englishboneseed

From bone + seed, either directly as a description of the hard surface of the seeds, or indirectly as a calque of the name of its genus, Osteospermum, from Ancient Greek ὀστέον (ostéon, “bone”) + Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, “seed”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

boneseed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boneseed

MLA

“boneseed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boneseed. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “boneseed,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boneseed.

Source: boneseed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.