ficus
noun
fi·cus
| \ ˈfī-kəs
\
\
plural ficus
or ficuses
Definition of ficus
: any of a genus (Ficus) of chiefly tropical trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the mulberry family that have deciduous or evergreen leaves, often begin life as epiphytes, and include some (such as F. benjamina) grown as houseplants and others (such as F. carica) cultivated for their oblong or pear-shaped edible syconium fruit : fig entry 1 sense 1b — compare banyan, rubber plant, strangler fig, weeping fig
Examples of ficus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Two of these species, fig sphinx (Pachylia ficus) and rustic sphinx (Manduca rustica), had ghost orchid pollinia on their heads. — Douglas Main, National Geographic, "Discovery reveals secrets about how ghost orchids reproduce," 11 July 2019 During those decades, the weeping fig, often called a ficus plant, experienced an initial wave of popularity that landed it in rumpus rooms and dentist offices around the country. — Los Angeles Times, "How the weeping fig became the ‘It’ plant of the gardening world (again)," 15 Aug. 2019 The ficus trees have caused structural damage to the building's foundation and are growing over the cement. — Paulina Pineda, azcentral, "4 massive ficus trees surrounding Tempe City Hall to be cut down," 3 July 2019 The most recent failure happened in late February, when a ficus tree fell across 24th Street between Bryant and Florida streets, smashing three parked cars. — Dominic Fracassa, SFChronicle.com, "SF’s budget for new trees surges, but city falls far short of planting goal," 28 June 2019 Two hours south of Kazinga Channel is the Ishasha Sector of the park, home to the famous tree-climbing lions that shinny up ficus trees and nap during the hot afternoon hours. — Tom Hanscom, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Wildlife rebound in Uganda," 11 July 2019 Crews will remove four of the massive ficus trees that line Tempe City Hall. — Paulina Pineda, azcentral, "4 massive ficus trees surrounding Tempe City Hall to be cut down," 3 July 2019 Like so many ficus in San Francisco, the trees were growing in ways that weaken their tangled limbs, making them vulnerable to cracking off. — Dominic Fracassa, SFChronicle.com, "SF’s budget for new trees surges, but city falls far short of planting goal," 28 June 2019 Anti-arbor day The end is near for 51 ficus trees lining 24th Street in the Mission District. — Taylor Kate Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Briefing: Why a Paradise school principal can’t stay," 28 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ficus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more