centaury

[ sen-taw-ree ]

/ ˈsɛn tɔ ri /

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noun, plural cen·tau·ries.

any of various plants belonging to the genus Centaurium, of the gentian family, having clusters of small pink or red flowers.

any of several other plants of the genera Centaurea and Sabatia.

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Origin of centaury

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English centaurie, from Medieval Latin centauria, apparently from Greek kentaúria, neuter plural (taken in Medieval Latin as feminine singular) of kentaúrion, noun use of neuter of kentaúrios (adjective), equivalent to kéntaur(os) “centaur” + -ios adjective suffix; said to be in reference to the centaur Chiron, known for his knowledge of medicinal plants; see Chiron

Words nearby centaury

centas, centaur, centaurea, centaurs, Centaurus, centaury, centavo, centenarian, centenary, centenionalis, centennial

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

How to use centaury in a sentence

Lotions of the smaller centaury or of stavesacre, and pomatum mixed with mercurial ointment, are very efficacious.
The Insect World|Louis Figuier
Infusum centauri, L. From the flowering tops of common or lesser centaury (Erytha centaurium).
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
They are the yellow-flowered centaury, the mountain centaury, the star thistle and the rough centaury: the first predominates.
The Life of the Fly|J. Henri Fabre
Mr. Farn recorded six or seven from Ryde in July, 1870; they were feeding on vine and centaury in a garden.
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series|Richard South

Centaury, common in our fields, enjoyed a very early reputation.
The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy|Charles John Samuel Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for centaury

centaury

/ (ˈsɛntɔːrɪ) /

noun plural -ries

any Eurasian plant of the genus Centaurium, esp C. erythraea, having purplish-pink flowers and formerly believed to have medicinal properties: family Gentianaceae

any plant of the genus Centaurea, which includes the cornflower and knapweed: family Compositae (composites)

Word Origin for centaury

C14: ultimately from Greek Kentauros the Centaur; from the legend that Chiron the Centaur divulged its healing properties

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