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chaste tree

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noun
a shrub or small tree, Vitex agnus-castus, of southern Europe, having aromatic, hairy leaves and long clusters of fragrant, pale lilac-blue flowers.
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Also called hemp tree, monk's pepper tree.

Origin of chaste tree

1555–65; translation of Latin agnus castus, variant of agnos castus (by influence of agnus lamb) <Greek ágnos kind of willow + Latin castus chaste, reinforcement of the idea thought to be in ágnos by confusion with Greek hagnós pure
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for chaste tree

chaste tree

noun
a small ornamental verbenaceous tree, Vitex agnus-castus, of S Europe and SW Asia, with spikes of pale blue flowers
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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