Oleanders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of flowering shrubs known for their ornamental appeal, often characterized by their vibrant blooms and toxic properties
2. Shrubs belonging to the Nerium genus, commonly used in landscaping and recognized for their fragrant flowers that can be hazardous if ingested
3. Ornamental plants featuring clusters of colorful flowers, often found in gardens, which contain toxic compounds affecting humans and animals

Etymology: "Oleanders" is the plural of "oleander", the name for a group of toxic flowering shrubs. The singular has an odd history: its ancestor was probably "lorandrum" in Late Latin, a word that may itself have been a garbled form of "rhododendron". In other words, the name of one flowering plant may have been corrupted from the name of another. The word then passed into Medieval Latin as "oleandru", and from there into French as "oléandre". English took it over from French, and the shrub's name shifted along the way, with the initial "l" of "lorandrum" becoming an "ol" sound. Scholars regard the "rhododendron" link as a likely but not certain explanation, since the two plants are quite different.