any of various plants of the American genus Tradescantia, esp T. virginiana, having blue, purplish, or pink flowers and widely grown as house plants: family Commelinaceae
See also tradescantia
2.
any of various similar or related plants
Word origin
C17: so called because of the spidery shape of its stamens
spiderwort in American English
(ˈspaɪdərˌwɜrt)
noun
1.
any of a genus (Tradescantia) of fleshy perennial plants of the spiderwort family, having grasslike leaves and showy purplish, white, or pink flowers
adjective
2.
designating a family (Commelinaceae, order Commelinales) of monocotyledonous plants, includingthe dayflower and wandering Jew