maranta

American

[muh-ran-tuh] / məˈræn tə /

noun

any of several tropical American plants of the genus Maranta, including arrowroot and several species cultivated as ornamentals for their variegated foliage.

maranta British

/ məˈræntə /

noun

any plant of the tropical American rhizomatous genus Maranta, some species of which are grown as pot plants for their showy leaves in variegated shades of green: family Marantaceae

"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 maranta

< New Latin (Linnaeus), after Bartolomeo Maranta (1500–71), Italian physician and botanist

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 leaf of the pond lily, lotus, canna, maranta, rubber tree, magnolia, camellia, orange, and all leaves which have a waxy surface, should either be varnished or bronzed.

From Project Gutenberg

There were many large-leafed tropical plants somewhat resembling the heliconias and marantas of tropical America.

From Project Gutenberg

Among the utensils I noticed baskets of different shapes, made of flattened maranta stalks, and dyed various colours.

From Project Gutenberg

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