ta·ber·nae·mon·ta·na \təˌbərnēmänˈtānə\noun Etymology: New Latin, from J. T. Tabernaemontanus (Latin name of J. T. Müller) died 1590 German botanist 1.capitalized: a large genus of tropical trees and shrubs (family Apocynaceae) having cymose flowers and a fleshy fruit 2.-s: any plant of the genus Tabernaemontana