kalmia

[ kal-mee-uh ]

/ ˈkæl mi ə /

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noun

any North American evergreen shrub belonging to the genus Kalmia, of the heath family, having showy flowers, as the mountain laurel.

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Origin of kalmia

<New Latin (Linnaeus), after Peter Kalm (1715–79), Swedish botanist; see -ia

Words nearby kalmia

Kali Yuga, Kallikak, Kallithéa, Kalmar, Kalmar Sound, kalmia, Kalmuck, Kalmykia, Kalmyk Republic, kalon, kalong

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use kalmia in a sentence

To-morrow came; but, as the leaves of the kalmia latifolia were out of my sight, they went out of my mind.
Tales And Novels, Volume 2 (of 10)|Maria Edgeworth
It is sometimes found in mixed woods, especially if there are mountain laurels in the woods (Kalmia latifolia).
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise|M. E. Hard
Back of this again a breadth of lighted open, carrying no growth but low kalmia scrub.
The Kindred of the Wild|Charles G. D. Roberts
Page 182 were found in open woods under Kalmia were the sun had an opportunity Changed to 'where the sun'.
Studies of American Fungi. Mushrooms, Edible, Poisonous, etc.|George Francis Atkinson

The Kalmia latifolia, too, grew to the height of eight or ten feet.
Travels in the Interior of North America, Part I, (Being Chapters I-XV of the London Edition, 1843)|Alexander Philipp Maximilian, Prince of Wied

British Dictionary definitions for kalmia

kalmia

/ (ˈkælmɪə) /

noun

any evergreen ericaceous shrub of the North American genus Kalmia, having showy clusters of white or pink flowersSee also mountain laurel

Word Origin for kalmia

C18: named after Peter Kalm (1715–79), Swedish botanist and pupil of Linnaeus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012