SINCE 1828
arum
noun
ar·um
| \ ˈa-rəm
, ˈer-əm\
, ˈer-əm\
Definition of arum
: any of a genus (Arum of the family Araceae, the arum family) of Eurasian plants having usually arrow-shaped leaves and a showy spathe partially enclosing a spadix
broadly
: a plant of the arum family
Examples of arum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another big category to keep your pets from gnawing is aroids (aka arums), the group of plants including philodendrons, pothos, peace lily (Spathiphyllum), arrowhead plants (Syngonium), elephant ear (Caladium), Dieffenbachia and others. — Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, "Some of South Florida's most popular plants may be toxic to pets," 14 June 2018 This arum thrives in partial shade or sun, so would be ideal with hostas in a partly-shaded bed. — Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, "The colorful Italian arum pairs well with hostas," 26 Apr. 2017 Java is one of two corpse flowers, or titan arums, that have been on display in the garden's greenhouse since May 17 in a state of near bloom. — Daniel I. Dorfman, chicagotribune.com, "Java the corpse flower blooms, stinks, at Chicago Botanic Garden," 31 May 2017 For the fourth time in less than two years, the Garden is awaiting the putrid bloom of the titan arum – two plants named Java and Sumatra, after islands in their native Indonesia, that are now in their bloom cycle and could soon open. — Daniel I. Dorfman, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago Botanic Garden waits, watches for dual corpse flower bloom," 23 May 2017 Fall through winter, into early spring, a pleasant surprise in the ornamental garden is Italian arum, with its bold green leaves above the whiteness of new snow or drab colors of dormant vegetation. — Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, "The colorful Italian arum pairs well with hostas," 26 Apr. 2017 This is the fourth time in less than two years the garden has drawn lines of visitors eager to see the rare bloom of a titan arum. — Daniel I. Dorfman, chicagotribune.com, "Java the corpse flower blooms, stinks, at Chicago Botanic Garden," 31 May 2017 Arum italicum is often planted with hostas, since hosta foliage fades away about the time of year that the arum is stretching its new leaves. — Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, "The colorful Italian arum pairs well with hostas," 26 Apr. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on arum
What made you want to look up arum? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
What's that Smell?! Quiz
-
- Someone who is hircine smells like a:
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Share arum
Resources for arum