a creeping evergreen ericaceous plant, Epigaea repens, of E North America, having clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers
Also called: mayflower
trailing arbutus in American English
US
arbutus (sense 2)
trailing arbutus in American English
noun
Also called: arbutus, mayflower
a creeping eastern North American plant, Epigaea repens, of the heath family, having leathery, oval leaves and terminal clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers
Word origin
[1775–85]This word is first recorded in the period 1775–85. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Americanism, backfire, flashing, impact, polyphonic