Paperbush

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of shrub or small tree known for its clusters of soft, papery flowers and its use in ornamental gardening; a plant with delicate, often showy blooms resembling paper
2. A botanical species characterized by its bushy growth and thin, paper-like petals that create a textured floral display; an ornamental woody plant distinguished by its fragile, papery flowers
3. A garden shrub that produces distinctive, lightweight flowers with a paper texture and is valued for aesthetic landscaping; a flora species notable for its cluster of thin, crinkled petals like pieces of paper

Etymology: "Paperbush" is a plain compound of "paper" and "bush," with no hidden story behind it. "Paper" comes from Old English "papor," borrowed from Latin "papyrus," which in turn came from Greek "papyros," the name of the reed whose pith was pressed into writing material. "Bush" is an older English word for a shrub or thicket. Joined together, the two words describe a shrub whose blossoms look like thin sheets of paper. The name points to the flowers rather than to any use of the plant itself. The blooms are fragile and crinkled, so they seem to have been made from the same thin material as a page. That visual comparison is the whole logic of the word, and it applies to whichever species a gardener or botanist has in mind.

Synonyms: edgeworthia