sweet calamus

Word Origin

noun

sweet flag.

sweet flag

noun

a plant, Acorus calamus, of the arum family, having long, sword-shaped leaves and a pungent, aromatic rootstock.

Also called sweet calamus.

Origin of sweet flag

1775-1785

First recorded in 1775-85

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
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Examples from the Web for sweet calamus

Historical Examples

The “sweet cane” of Scripture is probably Andropogon calamus aromaticus, or sweet calamus, which was a native of India.

Birds and Nature Vol. 11 No. 2 [February 1902] Various

British Dictionary definitions for sweet calamus

sweet flag

noun

an aroid marsh plant, Acorus calamus, having swordlike leaves, small greenish flowers, and aromatic roots Also called calamus

Word Origin

C18: see flag²

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
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