aspidistras
|as-pi-dis-tra|
🇺🇸
/ˌæs.pɪˈdrɑr/
🇬🇧
/ˌæs.pɪˈdrɑː/
(aspidistra)
shield-like (plant); cast-iron plant
Etymology
'aspidistra' originates from New Latin, borrowed from Greek 'aspidistron', where 'aspis' meant 'shield'.
'aspidistron' in Greek was adopted into botanical Latin as the genus name 'Aspidistra' in the 19th century and then entered English as the plant name 'aspidistra'.
Initially it referred to a 'small shield' (a reference to the shield-like shape of the leaf), but over time it became the botanical name for the plant genus Aspidistra and now denotes the plant itself.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'aspidistra': hardy, evergreen, shade-tolerant perennial plants of the genus Aspidistra, often grown as houseplants (commonly called cast-iron plants).
Several aspidistras stood in the corner, their glossy leaves brightening the dim hallway.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/31 15:34