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pitcher plant
noun
: a plant (especially family Sarraceniaceae, the pitcher-plant family) with pitcher-shaped leaves in which insects are trapped and digested by means of a fluid secreted by the leaves
Examples of pitcher plant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarracenia pitcher plants typically make their home in bogs and in poor soil throughout North America.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Apr. 2023
Oh, and seeing hundreds of pitcher plants in the Madagascan rainforest.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2023
Other pitcher plants form equally beneficial alliances with a range of species such as bats and shrews.
4.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023
In Spain’s Balearic Islands, this small wall lizard picks off insects that are attracted to the stench of the dead horse arum lily, a pungent, purple species of pitcher plant.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023
But what about the eastern US native purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea)?
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2023
In the case of the pitcher plant mosquito, the trade turns out to be a good deal.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
The twist: the greenery was made up of live, carnivorous venus fly traps and pitcher plants.
—Erik Maza, Town & Country, 25 Apr. 2023
Different kinds of Sarracenia pitcher plants tend to eat different kinds of insects — some species trap more ants, while others feast on bees and moths.
—Kate Golembiewski, CNN, 19 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pitcher plant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1810, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near pitcher plant
Cite this Entry
“Pitcher plant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitcher%20plant. Accessed 24 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
pitcher plant
noun
: any of various plants with modified leaves which form a tube resembling a pitcher for catching and digesting insects
More from Merriam-Webster on pitcher plant
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pitcher plant
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