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n. 1. Any of various trees or shrubs of the genus Cornus, having flowers in clusters and hard dense wood, and often cultivated as ornamentals. 2. A dogwood (Cornus florida) of eastern North America, having small greenish flowers surrounded by four large, showy white or pink bracts that resemble petals. Also called flowering dogwood. [From DOG (used in composition to mean "inferior" or "strong-smelling"), perhaps in reference to the unpleasant odor of the flowers of the common European dogwood (Cornus sanguinea).]  (click for a larger image) dogwoodflowering dogwood Cornus florida |
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