cast-iron plant
noun
Words nearby cast-iron plant
cast stone,
cast the first stone,
cast thy bread upon the waters,
cast up,
cast-iron,
cast-iron plant,
cast-off,
castable,
castagno,
castalia,
castaneda
Definition for cast-iron plant (2 of 2)
aspidistra
[ as-pi-dis-truh ]
/ ˌæs pɪˈdɪs trə /
noun
any of several plants belonging to the genus Aspidistra, of the lily family, native to eastern Asia, especially A. eliator, having large evergreen leaves often striped with white, and grown as a houseplant.
Also called
barroom plant,
cast-iron plant,
iron plant.
Origin of aspidistra
1815–25; < New Latin, equivalent to
aspid- (< Greek: stem of
aspís shield) +
-istra, extracted from
Tupistra genus of liliaceous plants < Greek
typís mallet + Latin
-tra plural of
-trum noun suffix denoting instrument
British Dictionary definitions for cast-iron plant
aspidistra
/ (ˌæspɪˈdɪstrə) /
noun
any Asian plant of the liliaceous genus Aspidistra, esp A. lurida, a popular house plant with long tough evergreen leaves and purplish flowers borne on the ground
Word Origin for aspidistra
C19: from New Latin, from Greek
aspis shield, on the model of
Tupistra genus of liliaceous plants