Clematises

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Climbing or trailing plants known for their large, vibrant flowers
2. various species belonging to the genus often cultivated in gardens for ornamental purposes
3. a type of flowering vine that may be utilized in landscaping for its beauty and range of colors

Etymology: "Clematises" is the plural of "clematis", the name for a genus of climbing plants widely grown in gardens for their showy flowers. The plural is simply the ordinary English one, formed by adding "-es" to a noun ending in "-s". The genus name itself comes from Latin "clēmatis", which was borrowed from Ancient Greek "klēmatis", a word derived from "klēma", meaning "vine" or a branch bearing vine-like shoots. The Greek word therefore described the plant by its habit: a long, twining stem that clambers over whatever it can reach. Botanists adopted the Greek-derived name as the scientific name of the genus, and English took it over from that Latin form.