Venus flytrap

American  

[vee-nuhs flahy-trap] / ˈvi nəs ˈflaɪˌtræp /

noun

1. a carnivorous plant, Dionaea muscipula, native to bogs of North Carolina and South Carolina, having roundish leaves with two lobes that close like a trap when tiny, sensitive hairs on their inner surfaces are irritated, as by a fly: classified as a vulnerable species and currently known to exist naturally only in sites within 56 miles (90 kilometers) of Wilmington, North Carolina.

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Etymology

Origin of Venus flytrap

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Its 2023 commercial featured a giant Venus flytrap.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2024

I can always sit down and rewatch Michael Sheen describe his character Aro as a Venus flytrap with an unhinged quality, mirrored by his own devilish grin and flashing eyes.

From Salon • Nov. 14, 2023

Among the species at risk of disappearing are icons like the carnivorous Venus flytrap, which is only found in the wild in a few counties of North and South Carolina.

From Reuters • Feb. 6, 2023

This is not the first time scientists have controlled a Venus flytrap.

From Scientific American • Mar. 1, 2022

“Yeah, yeah, I guess so,” he said, more enthusiastically, nodding, mouth open like a Venus flytrap.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely