monkey puzzle
noun
: a tall araucaria (Araucaria araucana) that is native to Chile and western Argentina but widely grown elsewhere
called also monkey puzzle tree
Examples of monkey puzzle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The backyard blooms with several varieties of hydrangea, along with Russian sage, Rose of Sharon, elderberry bushes, crepe myrtle, weeping pine, and monkey puzzle trees.
—
Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2023
As everyone surely now knows by now from having read such an informative article, monkey puzzle trees are native to Chile and are so-named because their spiny branches led an English barrister in the 1800s to proclaim that climbing them would puzzle a monkey.
—Ted Glanzer, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2022
The ancient monkey puzzle tree has distinctive spiny leaves and intricate scaly branches.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022
Plants from around the world, like the monkey puzzle tree, set among stone walls, meadows, and fields, keep a primary focus on the floras of Martha’s Vineyard (including Hill’s famous North Tisbury azaleas), the Atlantic coastal plain, and eastern Asia.
—Alyssa Giacobbe, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2021
Dinosaurs would have roamed through ecosystems that were a mixture of ferns, conifers like the curious-looking monkey puzzle tree and others.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2021
After all, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet and, maybe, a monkey puzzle tree by another moniker would still be as painfully pointy, right?
—Ted Glanzer, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2022
In 2017, Hurricane Irma knocked down the monkey puzzle trees, flora native to parts of Chile and Argentina.
—Grethel Aguila, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2022
The monkey puzzle trees are now protected by law across Patagonia.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022
Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2023
As everyone surely now knows by now from having read such an informative article, monkey puzzle trees are native to Chile and are so-named because their spiny branches led an English barrister in the 1800s to proclaim that climbing them would puzzle a monkey.
—Ted Glanzer, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2022
The ancient monkey puzzle tree has distinctive spiny leaves and intricate scaly branches.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022
Plants from around the world, like the monkey puzzle tree, set among stone walls, meadows, and fields, keep a primary focus on the floras of Martha’s Vineyard (including Hill’s famous North Tisbury azaleas), the Atlantic coastal plain, and eastern Asia.
—Alyssa Giacobbe, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2021
Dinosaurs would have roamed through ecosystems that were a mixture of ferns, conifers like the curious-looking monkey puzzle tree and others.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2021
After all, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet and, maybe, a monkey puzzle tree by another moniker would still be as painfully pointy, right?
—Ted Glanzer, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2022
In 2017, Hurricane Irma knocked down the monkey puzzle trees, flora native to parts of Chile and Argentina.
—Grethel Aguila, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2022
The monkey puzzle trees are now protected by law across Patagonia.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monkey puzzle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1856, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near monkey puzzle
Cite this Entry
“Monkey puzzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monkey%20puzzle. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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