dieffenbachia

[ dee-fuhn-bak-ee-uh, -bah-kee-uh ]

noun

any of various plants belonging to the genus Dieffenbachia, of the arum family, native to tropical America, often cultivated as houseplants for their decorative foliage.

Origin of dieffenbachia

<New Latin (1829), named after Ernst Dieffenbach (1811–55), German naturalist; see -ia

Compare dumb cane.

Words Nearby dieffenbachia

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

How to use dieffenbachia in a sentence

dieffenbachia, a genus of stove plants with very showy foliage.
Talks about Flowers. | M. D. Wellcome

British Dictionary definitions for dieffenbachia

dieffenbachia

/ (ˌdiːfənˈbækɪə) /

noun

any plant of the tropical American evergreen perennial genus Dieffenbachia, some species of which are grown as pot plants for their handsome variegated foliage. The plants are poisonous and the sap is extremely acrid: family Araceae

Origin of dieffenbachia

named after Ernst Dieffenbach (died 1855), German horticulturist

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

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