cicely
noun
a plant, Myrrhis odorata, of the parsley family, having a fragrant aroma and sometimes used as a potherb.
cicely
1 American
[sis-uh-lee]
/ ˈsɪs ə li /
noun
-
cicelies
plural
Cicely
2
American
[sis-uh-lee]
/ ˈsɪs ə li /
noun
cicely
British
/ ˈsɪsəlɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cicely
1590–1600; < Latin seseli < Greek séselis, séseli hartwort, respelling through influence of proper name Cicely
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Sweet fern is the vulgar name, for sweet chervill or cicely; but I never found that plant wild in England.-J.
From The Natural History of Wiltshire by Aubrey, John
Graceful in gesture, with delicate, fernlike leaves and anise-scented roots that children, like rabbits, delight to nibble, the sweet cicely attracts attention by its fragrance, however insignificant its flowers.
From Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors by Blanchan, Neltje
Be sure you know the difference between sweet cicely and the poisonous water hemlock before tasting the former's spicy root.
From Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors by Blanchan, Neltje
It’s been revived twice on Broadway, most recently with Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones a little over a decade ago, and widely produced in regional theaters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Cicely Tyson, one of Whitten’s best friends, shaved her head and emceed the opening fashion show, held beneath a tent in the back parking lot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2025
Specialized care for the dying was introduced to the U.S. in 1963, when Yale University’s then dean Florence Wald invited Dame Cicely Saunders of the U.K. to participate in a visiting lecture at Yale.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2025
King's College botanist Cicely A. M. Marshall surveyed the site before and after its makeover.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 1, 2023
Him and Ma and Mrs. Holton were sitting on the bench, and Penelope and Cicely and Sidney Prince were sitting in the bed.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
