shepherd's-purse

[ shep-erdz-purs ]

noun
  1. a European weed, Capsella bursa-pastoris, having white flowers and purselike pods, naturalized in North America.

Origin of shepherd's-purse

1
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Words Nearby shepherd's-purse

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

British Dictionary definitions for shepherd's-purse

shepherd's-purse

noun
  1. a plant, Capsella bursa-pastoris, having small white flowers and flattened triangular seed pods: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

Origin of shepherd's-purse

1
C15: compare Latin bursa pastoris, French bourse-de-berger, German Hirtentasche, Dutch herdentasch

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