pothos

American

[poh-thos, -thuhs, poth-ohs, -uhs] / ˈpoʊ θɒs, -θəs, ˈpɒθ oʊs, -əs /

noun

any of various tropical climbing vines belonging to the genera Pothos and Epipremnum, of the arum family, especially E. aureum, widely cultivated for its variegated foliage.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of pothos

< New Latin (Linnaeus), said to be < Sinhalese

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.

“I grabbed a festive disco ball planter with a pothos in it, came home to put it on our windowsill, and I was just so excited,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025

You may find yourself loitering near the kitchen island, pretending to study a hanging pothos while calculating whether it’s worth another scoop.

From Salon • Aug. 5, 2025

The company Neoplants has also tweaked genes in pothos plants to enable them to essentially recycle certain VOCs.

From BBC • Jul. 20, 2023

According to houseplant blogger Brittany Goldwyn, pothos plants are classic choices for hanging decor and can be found at most nurseries.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 14, 2022

The tree trunks were hidden by climbing ferns and by a white variegated fleshy-leafed pothos.

From Wanderings among South Sea Savages and in Borneo and the Philippines by Walker, H. Wilfrid

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