alyssum

[ uh-lis-uh m ]

/ əˈlɪs əm /

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.

Nearby words

alyce clover, alymphia, alymphocytosis, alymphoplasia, alyson, alyssum, alzheimer's disease, am, am-dram, am., am/fm

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for alyssum

Alyssum Saxatile.This grows into a dwarf shrub in time, and is a mass of small, brilliant, yellow flowers in spring.
The Children's Book of Gardening|Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick
The wind had died quite away, and a scent of alyssum filled the air.
With a Highland Regiment in Mesopotamia|One of its Officer
Free–growing spring–flowers like Aubrietia, Alyssum, and Iberis, may be multiplied to any extent by division or cuttings.
The Wild Garden|William Robinson
The bouvardias were quite spoiled; but the mignonette and alyssum were unharmed.
The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe|Amanda Minnie Douglas

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

Word Origin for 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