devil's backbone
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.26 in modern English
28
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
3
Syllables
12
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A perennial succulent spurge, native to tropical and subtropical North and Central America, of species Euphorbia tithymaloides (formerly known as Pedilanthus tithymaloides).
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Among the ornamentals that are commonly seen in but not native to Indonesia are a pink-flowered Dombeya, some Bauhinias or orchid trees, […] and trumpet vine. To this list may also be added yellow Allamanda, some kinds of Hibiscus, an Aloe, crown of thorns, shrimp plant, "Singapore holly" (neither a holly nor from Singapore), devil's backbone or slipperflower, Plumbago, Cape-honey-suckle, […]"
- "Some say the flowers of devil's backbone look like cardinals perched around a feeder, each flower a long-tailed red teardrop that gives rise to another common name, red bird cactus."
- "For years the matriarchs of the family grew a plant they called "devil's back," short for "devil's backbone." It's considered a subtropical succulent with variegated leaves."