aspidistra

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noun

Any of several Asian plants of the genus Aspidistra, having large leaves and small bell-shaped flowers; widely cultivated as a houseplant.

Similar
cast-iron plantbar-room plantAspidistra elatioAspidistra elatior
Origintaxonomic name Aspidistra →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounaspidistra (plural aspidistras)

plural aspidistras

  1. Any of several Asian plants of the genus Aspidistra, having large leaves and small bell-shaped flowers; widely cultivated as a houseplant.

    'Thank God they're not gentel aboutit.' 'Some of them are,' said Leiter. 'Tea-cups, aspidistras and tut-tutting all over the place.'

    1954, Ian Fleming, “Nigger Heaven”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 49

Synonyms & antonyms

nounevergreen perennial with large handsome basal leaves; grown primarily as a foliage houseplant

Similar
cast-iron plantbar-room plantAspidistra elatioAspidistra elatior
Broader
herbherbaceous plant
Also see
cast-iron plant

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. taxonomic nameAspidistra
  2. taxonomic nameAspidistra
  3. Englishaspidistra

Borrowed from taxonomic name Aspidistra, coined by English botanist John Bellenden Ker in 1822 from a blend of Greek ἀσπίς (aspís, “shield”) + taxonomic name Tupistra (“a sister genus”).

More words from taxonomic name

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish tuonenkielo
  • tuonenkieloplant of Aspidistra
Polish aspidistra
  • aspidistraplant of Aspidistra
Russian аспиди́стра
  • аспиди́стра (aspidístra)plant of Aspidistra
Cite this entry
APA

aspidistra. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspidistra

MLA

“aspidistra.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspidistra. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aspidistra,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspidistra.

Source: aspidistra on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.