maranta
maranta Lexical Profile
maranta Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of various tropical American plants of the genus Maranta (family Marantaceae), widely cultivated as ornamental houseplants for their strikingly patterned, colorful leaves.
"She placed the newly potted maranta on her desk, admiring the red veins running vividly through its dark green leaves."
An easily digestible starch obtained from the rhizomes of certain species of this plant, particularly Maranta arundinacea, traditionally used as a thickener in cooking.
"The chef added a spoonful of powdered maranta to thicken the fruit glaze naturally without altering its flavor."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often referred to colloquially as a 'prayer plant', the maranta is famous for its nyctinastic movement, where its leaves visibly fold upward at night.
• Rhymes for maranta
Word Origin & Etymology
Named in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in honor of Bartolomeo Maranta, a prominent 16th-century Italian physician and botanist.