retaining green, unwithered leaves for part of the winter or through comparatively mild winters
Word origin
[1900–05; semi- + evergreen]This word is first recorded in the period 1900–05. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Young Turk, cathode-ray tube, desensitize, geopolitics, internshipsemi- is a combining form borrowed from Latin, meaning “half,” freely prefixed to Englishwords of any origin, now sometimes with the senses “partially,” “incompletely,” “somewhat”.Other words that use the affix semi- include: semiautomatic, semidetached, semimonthly, semisophisticated
Examples of 'semievergreen' in a sentence
semievergreen
It is evergreen or semievergreen, with mid-green leaves and an upright growth habit, reaching up to 2m tall.
The Sun (2016)
This medium-sized, semievergreen shrub puts on a stunning display during late summer and autumn when it blooms.