noun
mimosa
mih-MOH-suh
noun
1
A plant with delicate, prickly leaves that fold up when touched, and small fluffy pink or white flowers.
"The mimosa plant on the windowsill closes its leaves whenever the cat brushes past it."
2
A cocktail made from equal parts champagne and orange juice.
"They ordered mimosas to go with their Sunday brunch."
How to Use Mimosa
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the touch-sensitive flowering plant, or the popular brunch cocktail of champagne and orange juice.
Common pairings
bottomless mimosas
mimosa tree
Word Forms
mimosas plural, mimosae plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “mimosa”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ plant on the windowsill closes its leaves whenever the cat brushes past it.
Etymology
From New Latin mimosa, based on Latin mimus ("actor"), a nod to the plant's "performance" of shrinking away when touched. The cocktail takes its name from the bright yellow flowers of a related mimosa tree.