alyssum

[ uh-lis-uhm ]

noun

any of various plants belonging to the genus Alyssum, of the mustard family, having clusters of small yellow or white flowers.
any of several related plants of the genus Aurinia, as A. saxatilis, a widely cultivated species with yellow flowers.

sweet alyssum.

Origin of alyssum

1545–55; <New Latin; Latin alysson<Greek, neuter of ályssos curing (canine) madness, equivalent to a-a-⁶ + lýss(a) madness + -os adj. suffix

Words Nearby alyssum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alyssum in a sentence

My border seeds, the sweet alyssum and lobelia, I had sense enough not to plant, and I sowed none of the perennials.
The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard Eaton
Some of the annual flowers may also be used for strong color effects, as Lobelia Erinus and sweet alyssum.
The Practical Garden-Book | C. E. Hunn
alyssum, white, dwarf for borders; six inches; blooms all summer if not allowed to go to seed.
A Woman's Hardy Garden | Helena Rutherfurd Ely
Sweet-pease, sweet-williams, sweet-mignonette, and sweet-alyssum.
A Little Garden Calendar for Boys and Girls | Albert Bigelow Paine
And yours, alyssum, the one we call Pepper-grass, because he is so fiery?'
A Little Garden Calendar for Boys and Girls | Albert Bigelow Paine

British Dictionary definitions for alyssum

alyssum

/ (ˈælɪsəm) /

noun

any widely cultivated herbaceous garden plant of the genus Alyssum, having clusters of small yellow or white flowers: family Brassicaceae (crucifers): See also sweet alyssum, alison

Origin of alyssum

C16: from New Latin, from Greek alusson, from alussos (adj) curing rabies, referring to the ancient belief in the plant's healing properties

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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