euphorbia
noun
eu·phor·bia yü-ˈfȯr-bē-ə 
: any of a large genus (Euphorbia) of herbs, shrubs, and trees of the spurge family that have a milky juice and flowers lacking a calyx and included in an involucre which surrounds a group of several staminate flowers and a central pistillate flower with 3-lobed pistils
broadly : spurge
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The neighboring iris, coralbells, dianthus and euphorbia — all sun-lovers — would have died from lack of sun and water. 
Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, 29 June 2019 Black rhino—some mammalian reflection of the Jurassic, thick-skinned toughness of this landscape—lumber through the ravines, lunching on the weird euphorbia plants that are toxic to most other creatures. Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Dec. 2018 Other common euphorbias include crotons, crown of thorns, and many other cactus-like plants. Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, 14 June 2018 Between the outcroppings lie swampy valleys, or vleis, fed by rainwater runoff and rich in acacias, mopanis, figs, euphorbias and other vegetation. Joshua Hammer, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2018 Plants especially susceptible to fasciation include ferns, willow trees, delphiniums, foxgloves, forsythia, euphorbias, lilies, primulas and verbascums such as the mullein. Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 31 May 2017 But the Old World has plenty of euphorbia plants that look and behave like cactuses, the result of evolutionary convergence on an optimal toolbox for a difficult trade. Natalie Angier, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2017 See More
Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, 29 June 2019 Black rhino—some mammalian reflection of the Jurassic, thick-skinned toughness of this landscape—lumber through the ravines, lunching on the weird euphorbia plants that are toxic to most other creatures. Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Dec. 2018 Other common euphorbias include crotons, crown of thorns, and many other cactus-like plants. Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, 14 June 2018 Between the outcroppings lie swampy valleys, or vleis, fed by rainwater runoff and rich in acacias, mopanis, figs, euphorbias and other vegetation. Joshua Hammer, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2018 Plants especially susceptible to fasciation include ferns, willow trees, delphiniums, foxgloves, forsythia, euphorbias, lilies, primulas and verbascums such as the mullein. Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 31 May 2017 But the Old World has plenty of euphorbia plants that look and behave like cactuses, the result of evolutionary convergence on an optimal toolbox for a difficult trade. Natalie Angier, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin, alteration of Latin euphorbea, from Euphorbus, 1st century a.d. Greek physician
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
euphorbia
noun
eu·phor·bia yu̇-ˈfȯr-bē-ə
1
: a large genus of plants of the spurge family that have a milky juice and flowers included in an involucre which surrounds a group of several staminate flowers and a central pistillate flower and that include a number which have been used medicinally
2
: any plant of the genus Euphorbia
also : any of various other plants that belong to the spurge family