dieffenbachia
[ dee-fuh n-bak-ee-uh, -bah-kee-uh ]
/ ˌdi fənˈbæk i ə, -ˈbɑ ki ə /
noun
any of various plants belonging to the genus Dieffenbachia, of the arum family, native to tropical America, often cultivated as houseplants for their decorative foliage.
Compare
dumb cane.
Origin of dieffenbachia
< New Latin (1829), named after Ernst
Dieffenbach (1811–55), German naturalist; see
-ia
Words nearby dieffenbachia
dieb. secund.,
dieb. tert.,
dieback,
diecious,
diefenbaker,
dieffenbachia,
diegesis,
diel,
dieldrin,
dielectric,
dielectric constant
Example sentences from the Web for dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia, a genus of stove plants with very showy foliage.
Talks about Flowers. |M. D. Wellcome
British Dictionary definitions for dieffenbachia
dieffenbachia
/ (ˌdiːfənˈbækɪə) /
noun
any plant of the tropical American evergreen perennial genus Dieffenbachia, some species of which are grown as pot plants for their handsome variegated foliage. The plants are poisonous and the sap is extremely acrid: family Araceae
Word Origin for dieffenbachia
named after Ernst
Dieffenbach (died 1855), German horticulturist