bromeliad

[broh-mee-lee-ad]

noun

any of numerous, usually epiphytic tropical American plants, having long, stiff leaves and showy flowers, and including the pineapple, Spanish moss, and many species grown as houseplants or ornamentals.

Origin of bromeliad

1865–70; < New Latin Bromeli(a), the type genus of the family (named after Olaus Bromelius (1639–1705), Swedish botanist; see -ia) + -ad¹

Related formsbro·me·li·a·ceous

[broh-mee-lee-ey-shuh s] /broʊˌmi liˈeɪ ʃəs/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bromeliad

Historical Examples of bromeliad

One individual was found in a bromeliad about three meters above the ground in the daytime.
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca
William E. Duellman
One was in a bromeliad growing about ten meters above the ground.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico
William E. Duellman
The insects in the water which ought to nourish the Bromeliad (Tillandsia) are really used by the Utricularia.
The Romance of Plant Life
G. F. Scott Elliot

British Dictionary definitions for bromeliad

bromeliad

noun

any plant of the tropical American family Bromeliaceae, typically epiphytes with a rosette of fleshy leaves. The family includes the pineapple and Spanish moss

Derived Formsbromeliaceous, adjective

Word Origin for bromeliad

C19: from New Latin Bromelia type genus, after Olaf Bromelius (1639–1705), Swedish botanist

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bromeliad

from Modern Latin Bromeliaceæ, family name given by Linnæus, for Olaus Bromel (1639-1705), Swedish botanist. Related: Bromeliads.

bromeliad in Science

bromeliad

[brō-mē′lē-ăd′]

Any of various tropical American plants of the family Bromeliaceae, most of which are epiphytes. They usually have long stiff leaves, colorful flowers, and showy bracts. The bromeliads include the pineapple, the Spanish moss, and numerous ornamental plants.