an evergreen ranunculaceous plant, Helleborus niger, of S Europe and W Asia, with white or pinkish winter-blooming flowers
Also called: hellebore, winter rose
Christmas rose in American English
noun
a European hellebore, Helleborus niger, having evergreen leaves and white-to-purplish flowers that bloom in the winter
Also called: winter rose
Word origin
[1680–90]This word is first recorded in the period 1680–90. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: commode, mob, skyrocket, timekeeper, turnoff