Meanings
plural century plants
- An agave (Agave americana) originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide.
Synonyms: American aloe, maguey
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn agave (Agave americana) originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide.
More synonyms by meaning
nountropical American plants with basal rosettes of fibrous sword-shaped leaves and flowers in tall spikes; some cultivated for ornament or for fiber
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
So named because the plant may live for several decades before producing flowers. Once a plant flowers and produces seeds, it dies.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian агава, столетник
- агава (agava)Agave americana
- столетник (stoletnik)Agave americana
Finnish jättiagaave
- jättiagaaveAgave americana
German Jahrhundertpflanze, hundertjährige Agave
- JahrhundertpflanzeAgave americana
- hundertjährige AgaveAgave americana
- amerikanische AgaveAgave americana
Polish agawa amerykańska
- agawa amerykańskaAgave americana
Spanish maguey
- magueyAgave americana
Cite this entry
century plant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/century%20plant
“century plant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/century%20plant. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “century plant,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/century%20plant.
Source: century plant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.