horehound

or hoar·hound

[ hawr-hound, hohr- ]

noun

1. an Old World plant, Marrubium vulgare, of the mint family, having downy leaves and small, whitish flowers, and containing a bitter, medicinal juice that is used as an expectorant, vermifuge, and laxative.
2. any of various plants of the mint family.
3. a brittle candy or lozenge flavored with horehound extract.

horehound

/ ˈhɔːˌhaʊnd /

noun

1. See black horehound
   Also calledwhite horehound a downy perennial herbaceous Old World plant, Marrubium vulgare , with small white flowers that contain a bitter juice formerly used as a cough medicine and flavouring: family Lamiaceae (labiates) See also black horehound
2. See bugleweed
   water horehound
   water horehound another name for bugleweed

Word History and Origins

Origin of horehound¹

before 1000; Middle English horehune, Old English hārhūne, equivalent to hār gray, hoar + hūne horehound

Word History and Origins

Origin of horehound¹

Old English hārhūne, from hār grey + hūne horehound, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Chiefly found on nettles, which many shells like as food, though avoiding the commonly associated horehound.

From Project Gutenberg

It was well that Miss Prime did not discover it: she would have given him horehound to cure—thought!

From Project Gutenberg

Take a teaspoonful of the expressed juice of horehound (the herb) and mix it with a gill of new milk.

From Project Gutenberg

If you do not wish it to be very strong of horehound don't use quite so much.

From Project Gutenberg

Horehound clenseth the breast and lungs, helps old coughs, easeth hard labour in child-bearing, brings away the after-birth.

From Project Gutenberg