SEA HOLLY

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sea holly mean? 

• SEA HOLLY (noun)
  The noun SEA HOLLY has 2 senses:

1. European evergreen eryngo with twisted spiny leaves naturalized on United States east coast; roots formerly used as an aphrodisiac

2. widely cultivated southern European acanthus with whitish purple-veined flowers

  Familiarity information: SEA HOLLY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SEA HOLLY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

European evergreen eryngo with twisted spiny leaves naturalized on United States east coast; roots formerly used as an aphrodisiac

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Eryngium maritimum; sea eryngium; sea holly; sea holm

Hypernyms ("sea holly" is a kind of...):

bush; shrub (a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems)

Holonyms ("sea holly" is a member of...):

Eryngium; genus Eryngium (large genus of decorative plants with thistlelike flower heads; cosmopolitan in distribution)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Widely cultivated southern European acanthus with whitish purple-veined flowers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Acanthus mollis; bear's breech; bear's breeches; sea holly

Hypernyms ("sea holly" is a kind of...):

acanthus (any plant of the genus Acanthus having large spiny leaves and spikes or white or purplish flowers; native to Mediterranean region but widely cultivated)