Melia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term often used in botany referring to a genus of flowering plants in the family Meliaceae, which includes species such as mahogany
2. It can also denote the fragrant flower of some trees in this genus, valued for their beauty
3. Additionally, the name may be associated with various cultural references or uses in herbal medicine

Etymology: Melia is the botanical name for a genus of flowering trees, best known through the chinaberry, "Melia azedarach." The name comes from the Greek "melia," the word for the ash tree, and it was taken into Modern Latin as a scientific name for this different tree. Botanists used the classical word for ash because the chinaberry's compound leaves look rather like ash foliage, a resemblance that led to the borrowing. The trees themselves come from Asia and Australia, and the chinaberry has spread widely through warm regions of the world. Its leaves are pinnately divided, and its small lilac flowers are strongly scented. The name is therefore a scientific label rather than an everyday English word, and its meaning is set by the botanists who assigned it.