lespedeza

noun

les·​pe·​de·​za ˌle-spə-ˈdē-zə How to pronounce lespedeza (audio)
: any of a genus (Lespedeza) of herbaceous or shrubby plants of the legume family including some widely used for forage, soil improvement, and hay

Examples of lespedeza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One species Ledford is up against is Sericea lespedeza, a flowering legume. Leslie Nemo, Scientific American, 11 July 2018 These include asters, ornamental salvias, caryopteris, perovskia, lespedeza, buddleia and chrysanthemums. Adrian Higgins, sacbee, 8 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lespedeza.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, irregular from V. M. de Zespedes flourished 1785 Spanish governor of East Florida

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lespedeza was in 1811

Dictionary Entries Near lespedeza

Cite this Entry

“Lespedeza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lespedeza. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lespedeza

noun
les·​pe·​de·​za ˌles-pə-ˈdē-zə How to pronounce lespedeza (audio)
: any of a genus of plants of the legume family including some widely used to improve soil and for hay

More from Merriam-Webster on lespedeza

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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