cancerroot

[ kan-ser-root, -root ]

noun
  1. any parasitic plant of the genus Orobanche, especially O. uniflora, of North America, having pale, leafless stalks bearing a single white or purplish flower.

Origin of cancerroot

1
1705–15; cancer + root1; so called from its folk-medicinal use in treating cancerous growths

Words Nearby cancerroot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024