boneset

[ bohn-set ]

/ ˈboʊnˌsɛt /

noun

any composite plant of the genus Eupatorium, especially E. perfoliatum, of North America, having white flowers in a flat-topped cluster.

Nearby words

bonefish, bonehead, bonelet, boner, bones of digits, boneset, bonesetter, boneshaker, boneyard, bonfire, bong

Origin of boneset

1810–20, Americanism; bone + set (v.), so named (by hyperbole) because supposed to have healing properties

Also called thoroughwort.

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

Examples from the Web for boneset

It makes me sick to use it; I feel as if the doctor was going to order me some boneset tea.
A Fearful Responsibility and Other Stories|William D. Howells
She was more than ever convinced of the efficacy of boneset.
Just Patty|Jean Webster
She sat by admiring his appetite until he had finished, then she made him drink the boneset tea to the last drop.
The Wit and Humor of America, Volume V. (of X.)|Various
I don't know nothing about no herbs, they used for diseases; only boneset and hoarhound tea for colds and croup.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves|Work Projects Administration

Horehoun', boneset, and yellow root was de main things she used.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States|Work Projects Administration

British Dictionary definitions for boneset

boneset

/ (ˈbəʊnˌsɛt) /

noun

any of various North American plants of the genus Eupatorium, esp E. perfoliatum, which has flat clusters of small white flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)Also called: agueweed, feverwort, thoroughwort

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