speedwell

American  

[speed-wel] / ˈspidˌwɛl /

noun

1. any of several plants, shrubs, or small trees of the genus Veronica, of the figwort family, having opposite leaves and small flowers.

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speedwell British  

/ ˈspiːdˌwɛl /

noun

1. any of various temperate scrophulariaceous plants of the genus Veronica, such as V. officinalis ( heath speedwell ) and V. chamaedrys ( germander speedwell ), having small blue or pinkish white flowers

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Etymology

Origin of speedwell

1570–80; speed + well ¹; so called because its petals fade and fall early

Example Sentences

A search of an address in nearby Speedwell, linked to Kelly, did not require any evacuations of surrounding properties in the area.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

In their ninth crime-solving tale, the Victorian-era adventuress and butterfly hunter Veronica Speedwell and her partner discover that a wax mannequin is actually a dead young woman, expertly preserved.

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2024

Halstead Springs of Speedwell, Tennessee, finished second and there was a tie for third between Asagiri no Shizuku of Shizuka, Japan, and Smeraldina Still Water of Sardinia, Italy.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 27, 2022

Launched in conjunction with environmental data company Speedwell, the ICAP-Speedwell Climate Index would be based on data collected from 50 independent weather stations globally, it said.

From Reuters • Oct. 27, 2021

Other rabbits began to appear through the rain: Acorn, clearly frightened, but determined not to run; Dandelion encouraging Pipkin; Speedwell and Hawkbit making toward Kehaar—the only creature visible above the ground haze.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams