銀木犀

Japanese

銀木犀 (ginmokusei): The sweet osmanthus, with white blossoms.

Kanji in this term
銀	木	犀
ぎん Grade: 3	もく Grade: 1	せい Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

Etymology

Compound of 銀 (gin, “silver”) +‎ 木犀 (mokusei, “sweet/fragrant osmanthus”).

Noun

銀(ぎん)木(もく)犀(せい) or 銀木犀(ギンモクセイ) • (ginmokusei) 

1. The white-blooming variety of the sweet olive or fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrans)

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ギンモクセイ.

See also

• 丹桂(たんけい) (tankei): golden osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans)
• 木犀(もくせい) (mokusei): the fragrant olive in general
• 桂花(けいか) (keika)