Meanings
plural osmanthuses
- countableuncountableAny of several widely distributed evergreen flowering plants, of the genus Osmanthus, often used to create several liquors, jams, jellies, syrups, and teas.
By 1969, the flower district had under cultivation over 13 hectares of rosebeds alone, 10,000 pots of osmanthus, 50,000 pots of magnolias, camellias and jasmine and several hundred thousand pots of chrysanthemums, as well as thousands of pine, pomegranate and iron trees.
1995, Zhou Shachen, “The Charm of the Flower District”, in Beijing Old and New: A Historical Guide to Places of Interest […], 2nd edition, Beijing: New World Press, →ISBN, chapter VII (Scenic Spots on the Outskirts of Beijing), page 321
Origin
- Ancient Greekὀσμή“smell”
- taxonomic nameOsmanthus“genus of flowering shrubs”
- Englishosmanthus
From João de Loureiro's (1790) taxonomic name Osmanthus (“genus of flowering shrubs”), from Ancient Greek ὀσμή (osmḗ, “smell”) + ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”), for the strong scent of the Osmanthus fragrans.
More words from taxonomic name, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 木犀, 桂花
- 木犀 (mùxi)plant
- 桂花 (guìhuā)plant
Finnish osmanthus
- osmanthusplant
French osmanthe
- osmantheplant
Italian osmanto
- osmantoplant
Japanese 木犀, モクセイ
- 木犀 (mokusei)plant
- モクセイ (mokusei)plant
Russian осма́нтус
- осма́нтус (osmántus)plant
Thai หอมหมื่นลี้
- หอมหมื่นลี้ (hɔ̌ɔm-mʉ̀ʉn-líi)plant
Vietnamese mộc tê
- mộc têplant
Cite this entry
osmanthus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/osmanthus
“osmanthus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/osmanthus. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “osmanthus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/osmanthus.
Source: osmanthus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.