snake plantn. A stemless plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) having narrow, rigid, often mottled leaves and widely cultivated as a houseplant.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.san?se?vi?e?ri?a (?sæn s? vi???r i ?, -s??v??r i ?) n., pl. -ri?as. any of various plants belonging to the genus Sansevieria, having sword-shaped leaves and white or yellow flowers. [1795?1805;