spiderwort

[ spahy-der-wurt, -wawrt ]

/ ˈspaɪ dərˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt /

noun

any plant of the genus Tradescantia, having blue, purple, or rose-colored flowers.

any of several related plants.

Nearby words

spiderhunter, spiderling, spiderman, spiderweb, spiderwood, spiderwort, spidery, spiegeleisen, spiel, spielberg, spielberg, steven

Origin of spiderwort

First recorded in 1590–1600; spider + wort²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spiderwort

The spiderwort was a rich blue with its two large petals rounded, while the third one was tiny and colorless.
Girl Scouts in the Adirondacks|Lillian Elizabeth Roy
There are four families of the order, the spiderwort belonging to the highest one, Commelyneæ.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany|Douglas Houghton Campbell
Among the best for this purpose are the spiderwort (Tradescantia) and Scilla.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany|Douglas Houghton Campbell

British Dictionary definitions for spiderwort

spiderwort

/ (ˈspaɪdəˌwɜːt) /

noun

any of various plants of the American genus Tradescantia, esp T. virginiana, having blue, purplish, or pink flowers and widely grown as house plants: family CommelinaceaeSee also tradescantia

any of various similar or related plants

Word Origin for spiderwort

C17: so called because of the spidery shape of its stamens

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