WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
aech•me•a
(ēk mē′ə, ēk′mē ə),USA pronunciation n.
- Plant Biologyany of various epiphytic bromeliads of the genus Aechmea, native to tropical America, having stiff, spiny leaves and clusters of red, yellow, or blue flowers: popular as a houseplant.
- Neo-Latin (1794), probably based on Greek aichmé̄eis armed with a spear, derivative of aichmé̄ spear point, spear; see -a2
'aechmea' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):