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Definition of "jack-in-the-pulpit" []

  • An eastern North American tuberous herb (Arisaema triphyllum) having a striped, leaflike spathe with a bent blade and three-lobed leaves. Also called regionally Indian turnip. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "jack-in-the-pulpit" in a sentence
  • "Box turtles are attracted to plants with red fruit such as strawberries, raspberries and jack-in-the-pulpit plants."
  • "In those early summers she was no taller than the goldenrod, just a head above the jack-in-the-pulpit that flanked the trails between the barn and woods."
  • "Standing in the doorway, Georgia was fascinated as the bright-eyed woman held up a jack-in-the-pulpit plant in order to let the students examine the unusual shapes and subtle shades of its interior."
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