butterbur

[ buht-er-bur ]

/ ˈbʌt ərˌbɜr /

Save This Word!

noun

any of several composite plants of the genus Petasites, having large, woolly leaves said to have been used to wrap butter.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 12

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of butterbur

First recorded in 1540–50; butter + bur¹

Words nearby butterbur

butter-and-eggs, butterball, butter bean, butterbread, butter brickle, butterbur, butter clam, butter cookie, buttercream, buttercup, buttercup family

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for butterbur

Its chief haunts, among the butterbur (Petasites), are in the northern counties from Cheshire to Durham.
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series|Richard South
The Common Butterbur grows in wet places, especially beside streams.
Flowers Shown to the Children|C. E. Smith
The flower of Butterbur, he writes, is the first to appear, before the plant or leaves.
Herbals, Their Origin and Evolution|Agnes Arber
As an instance of his manner we may cite his account of the Butterbur, of which his wood-cut is shown in Text-fig.
Herbals, Their Origin and Evolution|Agnes Arber

So, too, the butterbur of the river flowers before its great leaf comes.
Field and Hedgerow|Richard Jefferies

British Dictionary definitions for butterbur

butterbur

/ (ˈbʌtəˌbɜː) /

noun

a plant of the Eurasian genus Petasites with fragrant whitish or purple flowers, woolly stems, and leaves formerly used to wrap butter: family Asteraceae (composites)

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

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

butterbur

noun

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Origin of butterbur

Words nearby butterbur

Example sentences from the Web for butterbur

British Dictionary definitions for butterbur

noun