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sword fern

American  

noun

  1. any fern of the genus Nephrolepis, especially N. exaltata, characterized by sword-shaped, pinnate fronds, a common houseplant.


sword fern British  

noun

  1. any of numerous ferns having sword-shaped fronds

"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

Etymology

Origin of sword fern

First recorded in 1820–30

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.

They planted 80,000 plants — like red elderberry, western sword fern and Douglas fir — in the surrounding landscape to make the crossings more natural and attractive to wildlife.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 31, 2024

On her back sits a basket woven from cedar boughs and bark, sword fern fronds, cattail and grapevines, which is adorned with dried squash and pine cones.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2023

We learned the names of the plants, the elderberry, huckleberry, and sword fern, that grow on the forest floor.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2022

A Douglas fir reaches more than 200 feet high and 8 feet across; a stand of cedars covered in heavy moss rises out of the huckleberry and the sword fern.

From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2017

“Go across the sword fern meadow and head through the pines. You’ll get there way ahead of everyone else!”

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

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