pandanus

P3A1N1D2A1N1U1S1
/pænˈdeɪnəs/

noun

Any of various palm-like plants in the genus Pandanus.

UncommonScrabble 11

Meanings

nounpandanus (plural pandanuses or pandani)

plural pandanuses · plural pandani · alternative pandan

  1. Any of various palm-like plants in the genus Pandanus.

    A girl of fifteen, perhaps, was plaiting pandanus-leaf to make a hat, and an old woman was sitting on her haunches smoking a pipe.

    1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 53”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    Cut the pandanus leaves to fit into the steamer, then place them over the tea towel or muslin cloth. If using pandanus essence, do not add at this stage. Spoon the rice onto the leaves and spread evenly. Steam, covered, over rapidly boiling water for 30 minutes.

    2012, Rohani Jelani, Homestyle Malay Cooking, Periplus Editions, →ISBN

    Synonyms: pandan, screw palm, screw pine

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny of various palm-like plants in the genus Pandanus.

More synonyms by meaning

nounany of various Old World tropical palmlike trees having huge prop roots and edible conelike fruits and leaves like pineapple leaves

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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Malaypandan
  2. New Latinpandanus
  3. Englishpandanus

From New Latin pandanus, from Malay pandan.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with pandanus

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

pandanus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pandanus

MLA

“pandanus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pandanus. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pandanus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pandanus.

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