triffid

/ ˈtrɪfɪd /

noun

1. any of a species of fictional plants that supposedly grew to a gigantic size, were capable of moving about, and could kill humans

Word History and Origins

Origin of triffid¹

from the science fiction novel The Day of the Triffids (1951) by John Wyndham

Example Sentences

The future, it seemed, needed a Martian or two or a Triffid or two.

From Salon

As president, Donald Trump would prove to be both a Martian and a Triffid.

From Salon

He went so far as to name an outsize thistle that grew in his vegetable garden “the Triffid.”

From Slate

There is something of the triffid about them.

From Washington Post

Regulation that prevents The Next Big Thing is truly a lost opportunity—many once-touted biotech innovations have been killed in the crib by over-regulation: Triffid flax, Flvr Savr tomato, NewLeaf Potatoes and almost the entire field of transgenic animals.

From Forbes