devil's-bit

[dev-uhlz-bit]

noun

1. an eastern North American plant, Chamaelirium luteum, of the lily family, having a dense, drooping spike of small white flowers.

devil's bit

noun

1. devil's bit scabious See scabious 2

Word History and Origins

Origin of devil's bit¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

Her skillets smoked with dandelion, tobacco, aloeswood, and devil's bit, ready to welcome the spirits to cross over for a meal.

From Literature

It is also called "colic root" and "devil's bit," because a piece is missing from each tuber as a rule, just as if bitten out.

From Project Gutenberg

—In the Barnane Mountains, near Templemore, Ireland, there is a large dent or hollow, visible at the distance of twenty miles, and known by the name of the "Devil's Bit."

From Project Gutenberg

Marsh fritillaries feed on devil's bit scabious, and virtually all of the plants at the nature reserve have been eaten this year.

From BBC

Farther to the north, we could just discern the gap of the Devil's Bit, beyond which lay Limerick and the Shannon.

From Project Gutenberg