scurvy grass

American  

noun

1. a plant, Cochlearia officinalis, of the mustard family, purported to be a remedy for scurvy.

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scurvy grass British  

noun

1. any of various plants of the genus Cochlearia, esp C. officinalis, of Europe and North America, formerly used to treat scurvy: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

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Etymology

Origin of scurvy grass

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scurvy grass

Led by the doctor, Brown, Jim, and I started to explore the neighbourhood, to collect scurvy grass or roots of any sort which might serve as vegetables.

From Peter Trawl The Adventures of a Whaler by Durden, James

The natives told us that they broke up scurvy grass, mixed it with shell-fish, and threw it into the sea on the approach of a shoal of fish.

From Celebrated Travels and Travellers Part 2. The Great Navigators of the Eighteenth Century by Benett, Léon

Beneath was deep water and only an occasional cleft or cranny broke the face of the shining precipice, where green things made shift to live and the gulls built their rough nests with scurvy grass.

From The Red Redmaynes by Phillpotts, Eden

He therefore, directed his course towards Palmerston Island, where he arrived on the 14th of April, and where he found birds in abundance, scurvy grass, and cocoa-nuts.

From Celebrated Travels and Travellers Part 2. The Great Navigators of the Eighteenth Century by Benett, Léon

Nearby was Agua Escorbada, where scurvy grass probably was found.

From Mormon Settlement in Arizona A Record of Peaceful Conquest of the Desert by McClintock, James H.