pothos

noun po·thos \ ˈpō-ˌthäs \

|Updated on: 24 Jun 2018

Definition of pothos

plural pothos

: a southeast Asian climbing plant (Epipremnum aureum synonym Scindapsus aureus) of the arum family widely grown especially as a houseplant for its leathery or waxy heart-shaped green leaves that are spotted or streaked with golden yellow or white

Recent Examples of pothos from 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
For my money, the pothos is the plant with the best reward-to-effort ratio.

— cam wolf, GQ, "The Best Houseplants That Even You Can’t Kill," 24 Oct. 2017
In the 1970s, there was Watergate and war and turmoil in the Middle East, and housewives hung ivies, pothos and devil's backbone from their macramé plant hangers.

— lavanya ramanathan, chicagotribune.com, "Millennials are filling their homes — and the void in their hearts — with houseplants," 8 Sep. 2017
There are a number of foolproof houseplants that cost next to nothing and will last a long time, including ZZ plants, snake plants and pothos.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "Designing your apartment with high standards on a low budget," 11 May 2017
Keep an eye on your pothos and flytraps, and anyone named Audrey.

— yohana desta, vanityfair.com, "What to Watch If You Can’t See the Total Solar Eclipse," 21 Aug. 2017
Keep an eye on your pothos and flytraps, and anyone named Audrey.

— yohana desta, HWD, "What to Watch If You Can’t See the Total Solar Eclipse," 21 Aug. 2017
There are a number of foolproof houseplants that cost next to nothing and will last a long time, including ZZ plants, snake plants and pothos.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "Designing your apartment with high standards on a low budget," 11 May 2017
Under conditions that would murder most living things, a pothos is liable to reach between six and 10 feet if kept in its container, and over 40 feet if grown in its native tropical habitat.

— jazmine hughes, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: Pothos," 8 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pothos.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.