balisier
|ba-li-si-er|
🇺🇸
/bəˈliːziɚ/
🇬🇧
/bəˈliːziə/
bright, beacon-like tropical flower
Etymology
'balisier' originates from French, specifically the word 'balisier'. It likely entered English via Caribbean French or Antillean Creole as a local name for Heliconia species.
'balisier' was used in French and French-based Creoles in Caribbean regions to name conspicuous tropical plants (Heliconia). From there the term was borrowed into regional English varieties to refer to the same plants.
Initially used in local French-speaking contexts as a common name for certain showy tropical plants, the word maintained that sense and in English came to specifically denote Heliconia species with bright bracts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a tropical plant of the genus Heliconia, especially species with large, brightly colored bracts (often red or orange) native to the Caribbean and tropical Americas; commonly used in gardens and sometimes referred to as a national or emblematic flower in some Caribbean islands.
The hotel grounds were filled with balisiers, their scarlet bracts brightening the paths.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/05 12:38