any climbing asclepiadaceous shrub of the genus Stephanotis, esp S. floribunda, of Madagascar and Malaya: cultivated for their fragrant white waxy flowers
Word origin
C19: via New Latin from Greek: fit for a crown, from stephanos a crown
stephanotis in American English
(ˌstɛfəˈnoʊtɪs)
noun
any of a genus (Stephanotis) of climbing plants of the milkweed family; esp., a woody vine (S. floribunda) grown for its white, waxy, sweet-scented flowers
Word origin
ModL < Gr stephanōtis, fit for a crown < stephanos, that which surrounds, a crown < stephein, to encircle, crown, prob. < IE base *steb(h)-, post, support, restrict > stamp
Examples of 'stephanotis' in a sentence
stephanotis
Sonia, all floating swan's-down and stephanotis, beamed at everyone.
Christina Jones TICKLED PINK (2002)
He went into the bathroom and came out with a beautiful corsage, roses and stephanotis.
Laurie Graham MR STARLIGHT (2002)
She sat on one of her white sofas, with a posy of waxy-white overpoweringly scented stephanotis in a bowl beside her, and took Amy's hands.