chuparosa

noun

chu·​pa·​ro·​sa ˌchü-pə-ˈrō-sə 

plural chuparosas

: a small to medium desert shrub (Justicia californica) of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico that has usually red, yellow, or orange tubular flowers

Conspicuous flowers are produced by chuparosa, whose long tubular red flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds …

—Robert H. Mohlenbrock, Natural History, March 2000

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Mexican Spanish chuparosa, chuparrosa "hummingbird, any of various plants whose flowers attract hummingbirds," from Spanish chupa, 3rd person singular present tense of chupar "to suck" (probably of imitative origin) + rosa "rose" (in part borrowed from, in part going back to Latin)

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!