butterbur

American

[buht-er-bur] / ˈbʌt ərˌbɜr /

noun

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

butterbur British

/ 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

Etymology

Origin of butterbur

First recorded in 1540–50; butter + bur ¹

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023