caladium

[ kuh-ley-dee-uhm ]

/ kəˈleɪ di əm /

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noun

any of several tropical American plants of the genus Caladium, of the arum family, cultivated for their variegated, colorful leaves.

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Origin of caladium

1835–45; <New Latin: originally coined as genus name for taro on basis of Malay kəladi (spelling keladi) araceous plant; see -ium

Words nearby caladium

calaboose, calabrasella, calabrese, Calabria, Calabrian, caladium, Calah, Calais, Calakmul, calalu, Calama

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use caladium in a sentence

Caladium, or Elephant's Ears, should be lifted without disturbing the stem or leaves.
Trees, Fruits and Flowers of Minnesota, 1916|Various
The hoactzin, Opisthocomus, feeds to a great extent upon the leaves of the aroid Montrichardia or Caladium arborescens.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7|Various
Their food consists principally of batata, besides some gabi (caladium).
The Former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes|Toms de Comyn
Alocacia Macrorhiza Variegata, its large caladium-shaped leaves are marbled and broadly splashed with white.
Talks about Flowers.|M. D. Wellcome

Lastly, how are we to account for the beauty of autumnal tints in woods, or coloured leaves in plants such as the Caladium?
Creation and Its Records|B.H. Baden-Powell

British Dictionary definitions for caladium

caladium

/ (kəˈleɪdɪəm) /

noun

any of various tropical plants of the aroid genus Caladium, which are widely cultivated as potted plants for their colourful variegated foliage

Word Origin for caladium

C19: from New Latin, from Malay kěladi araceous plant

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