ficus

noun

fi·​cus ˈfī-kəs 

plural ficus or ficuses

: any of a genus (Ficus) of chiefly tropical trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the mulberry family that have deciduous or evergreen leaves, often begin life as epiphytes, and include some (such as F. benjamina) grown as houseplants and others (such as F. carica) cultivated for their oblong or pear-shaped edible syconium fruit : fig entry 1 sense 1b compare banyan, rubber plant, strangler fig, weeping fig

Examples of ficus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The majority of the trees that were felled were ficuses. —Vanessa Romo, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025

This mood is especially pronounced in the living room, where a ficus tree in the center of the room overlooks a low-lying Roche Bobois Missoni Mah Jong sectional, pillows and ottomans. —Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025

While ficus are notorious for their enormous, often invasive network of roots, Laura says the tree’s roots tend to grow out toward the street instead of their house. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025

Hidden among ficus trees in the heart of Avenida Cesar E. Chavez in Boyle Heights sits a vintage store with the evocative name QVO Laboratories. —Amy Contreras, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, fig

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ficus

• picus
• ruckus