hibiscus

H4I1B3I1S1C3U1S1
/hɪˈbɪskəs//haɪˈbɪskəs/

noun

A flowering plant of the genus Hibiscus, especially Hibiscus syriacus, found in tropical to temperate regions, of some species used for making infusions/tea.

OriginLate Latin hibiscus ← Latin hibiscum ← Ancient Greek ἰβίσκος →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Word of the Day · Dec 26, 2023

Meanings

nounhibiscus (plural hibiscuses or hibisci)

plural hibiscuses · plural hibisci

  1. A flowering plant of the genus Hibiscus, especially Hibiscus syriacus, found in tropical to temperate regions, of some species used for making infusions/tea.

    There were red hibiscus flowers splashed all over it, yellow dots quivering at the stamens.

    2020, Akwaeke Emezi, The Death of Vivek Oji, Faber & Faber Ltd, page 231
  2. A cocktail made with champagne and cranberry juice.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἰβίσκος“marsh mallow”
  2. Latinhibiscum
  3. Late Latinhibiscus
  4. Englishhibiscus

From Late Latin hibiscus, from Latin hibiscum, from Ancient Greek ἰβίσκος (ibískos, “marsh mallow”), probably ultimately from Gaulish.

More words from Late Latin, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian хибискус
  • хибискус (hibiskus)flower
Catalan hibisc
  • hibiscflower
Chinese Mandarin 木槿
  • 木槿 (mùjǐn)flower
Czech ibišek
  • ibišekflower
Dutch hibiscus, tuinhibiscus
  • hibiscusflower
  • tuinhibiscusflower
  • koraalmalveflower
Finnish hibiskus
  • hibiskusflower
French hibiscus, ibisque
  • hibiscusflower
  • ibisqueflower
German Hibiskus
  • Hibiskusflower
Greek ιβίσκος
  • ιβίσκος (ivískos)flower
Hawaiian aloalo
  • aloaloflower
Indonesian kembang sepatu, bunga sepatu
  • kembang sepatuflower
  • bunga sepatuflower
Italian ibisco
  • ibiscoflower
Japanese 木槿
  • 木槿 (mukuge)flower
Korean 무궁화
  • 무궁화 (mugunghwa)flower
Latin hibiscus
  • hibiscusflower
Lithuanian kinrožė
  • kinrožėflower
Malay baru, bunga raya
  • baruflower
  • bunga rayaflower
Māori puarangi
  • puarangiflower
Norwegian Bokmål hibiskus
  • hibiskusflower
Polish hibiskus, ketmia
  • hibiskusflower
  • ketmiaflower
Portuguese hibisco
  • hibiscoflower
Romanian hibiscus
  • hibiscusflower
Russian гиби́скус
  • гиби́скус (gibískus)flower
Spanish hibisco, flor de jamaica
  • hibiscoflower
  • flor de jamaicaflower
Swedish hibiskus
  • hibiskusflower
Tagalog gumamela
  • gumamelaflower
Thai ชบา
  • ชบา (chá-baa)flower
Turkish hibiskus, amber çiçeği
  • hibiskusflower
  • amber çiçeğiflower
Vietnamese dâm bụt, bông bụp
  • dâm bụtflower
  • bông bụpflower
  • cẩnflower
Cite this entry
APA

hibiscus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hibiscus

MLA

“hibiscus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hibiscus. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hibiscus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hibiscus.

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