broomrape

[ broom-reyp, broom- ]

noun

any of various parasitic plants, especially of the genus Orobanche, living on the roots of broom and other plants.

Origin of broomrape

1570–80; partial translation of Medieval Latin rāpum genistae tuber of the broom plant

Compare broomrape family.

Words Nearby broomrape

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

How to use broomrape in a sentence

We have also the pest of broomrape; and if badly infested by this weed, great destruction follows to the crop.
The Khedive's Country | George Manville Fenn
The broomrape is now becoming a very pernicious clover weed, especially in lighter soils.
Science and Practice in Farm Cultivation | James Buckman

British Dictionary definitions for broomrape

broomrape

/ (ˈbruːmˌreɪp, ˈbrʊm-) /

noun

any orobanchaceous plant of the genus Orobanche : brownish small-flowered leafless parasites on the roots of other plants, esp on legumes

Origin of broomrape

C16: adaptation and partial translation of Medieval Latin rāpum genistae tuber (hence: root nodule) of Genista (a type of broom plant)

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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