pandanus

American  

[pan-dey-nuhs, -dan-uhs] / pænˈdeɪ nəs, -ˈdæn əs /

noun

plural

pandanuses

1. any plant of the genus Pandanus, having sword-shaped leaves arranged in a spiral, comprising the screw pines.

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pandanus British  

/ pænˈdeɪnəs /

noun

1. any of various Old World tropical palmlike plants of the genus Pandanus, having large aerial prop roots and leaves that yield a fibre used for making mats, etc: family Pandanaceae See also screw pine

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Etymology

Origin of pandanus

1770–80; < New Latin, based on Malay pandan name for such plants

Example Sentences

In the future, you could be breakfasting on false banana or snacking on pandanus tree fruit.

From BBC • May 21, 2022

But in 2014, two strong typhoons washed away the beach and uprooted the pandanus trees that protected the village.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2021

When not at Maningrida, he likes to spend time at Milmilngkan, a remote outstation on a creek with nearby waterholes and a spring that bubbles up amid a pandanus grove.

From Washington Post • Aug. 31, 2018

The group also holds workshops to teach people to make traditional foods such as breadfruit flour and preserved pandanus.

From Scientific American • May 11, 2011

Between helpings the women sat back, waving fans made out of silk, paper, sandalwood, and pandanus fronds.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston