Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Hibiscus

Hibiscus , noun

[Latin, marsh mallow; compare Greek {not transcribed}.]

(Botany) A genus of plants (herbs, shrubs, or trees), some species of which have large, showy flowers. Some species are cultivated in India for their fiber, which is used as a substitute for hemp. See Althea, Hollyhock, and Manoe.