Meaning & use
protea
Last updated
UK/ˈprəʊtiə/
US/ˈproʊtiə/
Meaning
nouncountable
A shrub from southern Africa with large, showy flower heads made of many stiff, colorful bracts.
Grammar: Plural is proteas: a bouquet of proteas.
Patterns
- a protea bush
- a bunch of proteas
She arranged a vase of pink proteas on the table.
The hillside was covered with wild proteas in bloom.
A protea can last for weeks as a cut flower.
Word forms
| plural | proteas |
|---|
Common combinations
- king protea
- The king protea has the largest flower head of all.
- protea bush
- A protea bush grows well in poor, sandy soil.
- cut proteas
- Cut proteas are shipped around the world.
- dried proteas
- Dried proteas make long-lasting decorations.
- protea flower
- The protea flower attracts birds and insects.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sugarbush
- Sugarbush is a common name for certain proteas, while protea is the general and botanical name.
- fynbos plant
- This describes the plant community of the Cape, not a particular flower like the protea.
Word family
- Proteaceae noun
- the plant family that includes proteas
- proteas noun
- plural form
Commonly confused: protea or protein?
protea vs protein
A protein is a nutrient in food, not a flower; the words only look similar.
Practice
Which of these is the national flower of South Africa?
Choose one answer.
The king protea is South Africa's national flower. The others are famous flowers from other regions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “protea”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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