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bougainvillea
(bo̵̅o̅′gən vil′ē ə, -vil′yə, -vē′yə)
noun
any of a genus (Bougainvillea) of woody tropical vines of the four-o'clock family, having inconspicuous flowers surrounded by large, showy purple or red bracts
Origin: ModL, after Louis Antoine de Bougainville
See bougainvillea in American Heritage Dictionary 4
also bou·gain·vil·lae·a
noun Any of several South American woody shrubs or vines of the genus Bougainvillea having groups of three petallike, showy, variously colored bracts attached to the flowers.
Origin:
Origin: New Latin Bougainvillea, genus name
Origin: , after Louis Antoine de Bougainville
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