hollyhock

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a tall garden mallow of the genus Alcea, grown for spikes of large colourful flowers

   A crimson hollyhock rose above the cottage garden wall.

From Middle English holihocke, combining holy with hock, an old word for a mallow. The first element may reflect a belief that the plant came from the Holy Land. The modern garden hollyhock was probably introduced to England after some earlier uses of the name.

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