Dutchman's-pipe

American

[duhch-muhnz-pahyp] / ˈdʌtʃ mənzˈpaɪp /

noun

a climbing vine, Aristolochia durior, of the birthwort family, having large, heart-shaped leaves and brownish-purple flowers of a curved form suggesting a tobacco pipe.

Dutchman's-pipe British

noun

a woody climbing plant, Aristolochia sipho , of the eastern US, cultivated for its greenish-brown mottled flowers, which are shaped like a curved pipe: family Aristolochiaceae

"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

Etymology

Origin of Dutchman's-pipe

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The curved hollow of the purplish-green Dutchman's-pipe is pocked on the inside by windowlike patches that are surrounded with pollen, which rubs off on the bug who mistakes the bright patch for daylight and freedom.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023