wandering jew
• noun
Any of several trailing herbaceous plants of the spiderwort family (Commelinaceae), especially genus Tradescantia native to the Americas, cultivated for their striped or purple-tinted foliage and small, three-petaled pink, purple, or white flowers.
"She hung a potted wandering Jew near the sunny kitchen window, where its purple-striped stems and tiny three-petaled blossoms trailed over the rim."
A legendary figure in medieval Christian folklore who, according to myth, taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion and was consequently cursed to walk the earth until the Second Coming.
"Romantic poets in the nineteenth century frequently drew upon the legend of the Wandering Jew to explore themes of immortality and alienation."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern horticultural and everyday contexts, the plant name 'wandering Jew' is increasingly discouraged due to its association with medieval antisemitic folklore; neutral alternatives such as 'inchplant', 'spiderwort', or 'wandering dude' are widely preferred.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.