spathiphyllum

American  

[spey-thuh-fil-uhm, -thuh-, spath-uh-] / ˌspeɪ ðəˈfɪl əm, -θə-, ˌspæθ ə- /

noun

1. any of various tropical plants of the genus Spathiphyllum, having a white or green spathe and a spike of fragrant flowers and often cultivated as an ornamental.

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Etymology

Origin of spathiphyllum

< New Latin, equivalent to Greek spáth ( ē ) blade, spathe + New Latin -i- -i- (irregular for -o- ) + Greek -phyllon, neuter of -phyllos -phyllous, in reference to the leaflike appearance of the spathes

Example Sentences

If mom is a Libra, for example, give her a plant that is not terribly fussy such as the peace lily, a spathiphyllum that flowers in the spring..

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2022

Sure, other plants live in the Oval Office�palms on the floor, half a dozen dwarf spathiphyllum, sometimes pots of ornamental peppers.

From Time Magazine Archive

On her twice-weekly show, Making Things Grow, which is carried on five educational stations in New England, she is to spathiphyllum cannae-folium what TV Chef Julia Child is to pate en croute.

From Time Magazine Archive