ragwort

[ rag-wurt, -wawrt ]

noun
  1. any of various composite plants of the genus Senecio, as S. jacobaea, of the Old World, having yellow flowers and irregularly lobed leaves, or S. aureus(golden ragwort ), of North America, also having yellow flowers.

Origin of ragwort

1
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at rag1, wort2

Words Nearby ragwort

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ragwort in a sentence

  • Yes, I am convinced of it; it was that bunch of yellow ragwort on the mantelpiece in my bedroom.

    Christie, the King's Servant | Mrs. O. F. Walton
  • The yellow flower-heads are not so densely crowded as in the Common ragwort, and have longer stalks.

    Field and Woodland Plants | William S. Furneaux
  • Moths of the second generation often abound at the sugar patches, and on ragwort blossom.

  • The male moths are sometimes seen flying in the sunshine and visiting the flowers of thistles, ragwort, etc.

  • He was in the act of rising to examine the spot, but he sank down directly, ducking his head behind a great tuft of ragwort.

    Yule Logs | Various

British Dictionary definitions for ragwort

ragwort

/ (ˈræɡˌwɜːt) /


noun
  1. any of several plants of the genus Senecio, esp S. jacobaea of Europe, that have yellow daisy-like flowers: family Asteraceae (composites): See also groundsel (def. 1)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012