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monstera

[mon-ster-uh]
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noun
  1. any of various tropical American climbing plants belonging to the genus Monstera, of the arum family, especially M. deliciosa, having split or perforated leaves and often grown as a houseplant.
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Origin of monstera

< New Latin (1763), apparently irregular derivative of Latin mōnstrum monster; see -a2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for monstera

Historical Examples

  • The Monstera deliciosa, one of the grandest of arid plants, is a native of the mountainous regions of Guatamala and Brazil.

    Fruits of the Hawaiian Islands

    Gerrit Parmile Wilder

British Dictionary definitions for monstera

monstera

noun
  1. any plant of the tropical climbing genus Monstera, some species of which are grown as greenhouse or pot plants for their unusual leathery perforated leaves: family Araceae. M. deliciosa is the Swiss cheese plant
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Word Origin

New Latin, perhaps because the leaves were regarded as an aberration
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