any plant of the tropical climbing genus Monstera, some species of which are grown as greenhouse or pot plants for their unusual leathery perforated leaves: family Araceae. M. deliciosa is the Swiss cheese plant
Word origin
New Latin, perhaps because the leaves were regarded as an aberration
monstera in American English
(ˈmɑnstɛrə)
noun
any of a genus (Monstera) of tropical American plants of the arum family; esp., a tall species (M. deliciosa) with huge, deeply lobed leaves and an edible fruit