monstera

[ mon-ster-uh ]

noun
  1. any of various tropical American climbing plants belonging to the genus Monstera, of the arum family, especially M. deliciosa, having split or perforated leaves and often grown as a houseplant.

Origin of monstera

1
<New Latin (1763), apparently irregular derivative of Latin mōnstrummonster; see -a2

Words Nearby monstera

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use monstera in a sentence

  • The monstera deliciosa, one of the grandest of arid plants, is a native of the mountainous regions of Guatamala and Brazil.

    Fruits of the Hawaiian Islands | Gerrit Parmile Wilder

British Dictionary definitions for monstera

monstera

/ (mɒnˈstɪərə) /


noun
  1. any plant of the tropical climbing genus Monstera, some species of which are grown as greenhouse or pot plants for their unusual leathery perforated leaves: family Araceae. M. deliciosa is the Swiss cheese plant

Origin of monstera

1
New Latin, perhaps because the leaves were regarded as an aberration

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