silversword

noun

sil·​ver·​sword ˈsil-vər-ˌsȯrd How to pronounce silversword (audio)
: a long-lived composite plant (Argyroxiphium sandwicense) of Maui and Hawaii that has a rosette of lanceolate leaves covered with silvery hairs and that dies after producing a very tall raceme of numerous usually purplish or reddish flowers

Examples of silversword in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Please never take anything, whether lava rocks or silversword plants, out of the park. Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 29 Dec. 2022 Keep your eyes out for the endangered and rare ‘ahinahina, or Haleakala silversword plant. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2021 These silverswords, which can grow taller than the average human, have been rapidly disappearing over the past 30 years. Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 9 Dec. 2019 The Park Service said people would sometimes stray off paved areas and trample on seedlings and root systems of the Haleakala silversword, a rare, bush-like plant with thick leaves. Washington Post, 15 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of silversword was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near silversword

Cite this Entry

“Silversword.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silversword. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!