comfrey

American

[kuhm-free] / ˈkʌm fri /

noun

plural

comfreys

any coarse Eurasian plant belonging to the genus Symphytum, of the borage family, as the widely cultivated S. officinale, having hairy, lance-shaped leaves and drooping clusters of small, white, rose-colored, or purplish flowers.

comfrey British

/ ˈkʌmfrɪ /

noun

any hairy Eurasian boraginaceous plant of the genus Symphytum, having blue, purplish-pink, or white 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

Etymology

Origin of comfrey

1275–1325; Middle English cumfirie, conferye < Anglo-French cumfirie, Old French confire < Medieval Latin *confervia for Latin conferva conferva

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.

He said herbs with bigger leaves generally do better in lower-light conditions so he recommends things such as basil, mint and Italian flat-leaf parsley, borage and comfrey.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 25, 2023

Applying comfrey to the skin however is perfectly safe.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

I have begun using Steuart’s Pain Formula with arnica and comfrey.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2022

Turns out, comfrey is a viable source of homegrown fertilizer.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2022

“Poultice. With arnica for the bruising and comfrey for the broken bone.”

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker

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