monstera

noun

mon·​stera män(t)-'ster-ə  ˈmänz-tə-rə  ˈmän(t)-stə-rə 

plural monsteras or monstera

1

: any of a genus (Monstera) of tropical American climbing plants of the arum family that have deeply incised or perforated leaves and an erect floral spadix enclosed in a white to yellow concave bract and that include some grown for their large ornamental leaves

… monstera is a climbing or sprawling vine that supports itself with long tentacle-like aerial roots.

—Amy Bennett Williams

Monsteras do not flower or fruit indoors but may do so outdoors in protected locations …

—Redland (California) Daily Facts

see swiss cheese plant, swiss cheese vine

2

: the fruit of a monstera (especially Monstera deliciosa)

Lesser known fruits, such as the monstera (or Mexican breadfruit), baffle even enthusiastic diners.

—Jan Norris

Examples of monstera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Others enjoyed a glass of wine beneath the towering monstera plant anchored in the middle of the showroom. —Carly Olson, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2024

The Good Bones star quietly debuted a new haircut in an Instagram Reels post on July 24, showing herself in her greenhouse tending to her monstera plants. —Brittany Talarico, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024

However, this $5 faux monstera plant would have been a welcome addition to my dorm room decor. —Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 2 Aug. 2024

The light in the kitchen was pale and wintry; a fly buzzed around the thirsty monstera in the pot on the windowsill. —Nell Freudenberger, The New Yorker, 28 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin Monstera, genus name, perhaps arbitrarily re-formed from Latin monstrum "omen, portent, monster entry 1"

Note: The genus name Monstera was introduced by the French botanist Michel Adanson (1727-1806) in Famille des plantes, I partie (Paris, 1763), p. 470. Adanson's taxonomic coinages are notable for their derivational irregularity and occasional inscrutability.

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1