sansevieria

noun

san·​se·​vie·​ria ˌsan(t)-sə-ˈvir-ē-ə How to pronounce sansevieria (audio)
: any of a genus (Sansevieria) of tropical perennial herbs of the asparagus family with showy mottled sword-shaped leaves usually yielding a strong fiber
especially : snake plant

Illustration of sansevieria

Illustration of sansevieria

Examples of sansevieria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Divide clump-forming foliage plants like spathiphyllum and sansevieria. Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2024 Read More About Peace Lily Care 5 The Sill Snake Plant $38 at The Sill Nearly impossible to kill, sansevieria has flat, sword-like variegated leaves that tolerate any amount of light. Molly Miller, housebeautiful.com, 31 May 2023 There are so many different varieties of sansevieria. Gina Mayfield, Dallas News, 20 Mar. 2023 Snake Plant $35 at Amazon$40 at Home Depot One of many sansevierias, the snake plant is tough to kill. Monique Valeris, Good Housekeeping, 19 Mar. 2023 Agaves and sansevieria [shown]. Mary Holland, WSJ, 10 Feb. 2022 Air-Purifying Plant for the Bedroom Also known as the sansevieria plant, snake plants have sword-like leaves that'll make gorgeous additions to modern decor. Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 2 Feb. 2023 Many shop owners said best-sellers include snake plants, also known sansevieria, a hardy, low-maintenance plant with spiky green leaves. Anna Kramer, SFChronicle.com, 13 July 2020 Tough Stuff Collection includes three easy-to-maintain and hard-to-kill plants to add to his home: a sansevieria, a ZZ Plant, and a hoya. Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 9 Dec. 2022

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Raimondo di Sangro, prince of San Severo †1774 Italian scholar

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sansevieria was in 1804

Dictionary Entries Near sansevieria

Cite this Entry

“Sansevieria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sansevieria. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sansevieria

noun
san·​se·​vie·​ria ˌsan(t)-sə-ˈvir-ē-ə How to pronounce sansevieria (audio)
: any of a genus of tropical herbs that are related to the agaves and have spotted or striped sword-shaped leaves

called also snake plant

More from Merriam-Webster on sansevieria

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!