noun
genus of often thorny tropical trees and shrubs and some vines; mainly America
• Syn: ↑genus Pisonia
• Hypernyms: ↑caryophylloid dicot genus
• Member Holonyms: ↑Nyctaginaceae, ↑family Nyctaginaceae, ↑Allioniaceae, ↑family Allioniaceae, ↑four-o'clock family
• Member Meronyms: ↑cockspur, ↑Pisonia aculeata
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\\pə̇ˈsōnēə, pīˈs-\ nounUsage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, irregular from Willem Piso died ab 1678 Dutch physician and traveler + New Latin -ia
: a genus of tropical often thorny trees, shrubs, and vines (family Nyctaginaceae) having small dioecious apetalous flowers and utricular fruits — see cockspur 2b
Useful english dictionary. 2012.