elecampane

American  

[el-i-kam-peyn] / ˌɛl ɪ kæmˈpeɪn /

noun

1. a composite weed, Inula helenium, naturalized in North America, having large yellow flowers and aromatic leaves and root.

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elecampane British  

/ ˌɛlɪkæmˈpeɪn /

noun

1. a perennial flowering plant, Inula helenium, of Europe, Asia, and North America having large hairy leaves and narrow yellow petals: family Asteraceae (composites)

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Etymology

Origin of elecampane

1350–1400; Middle English, equivalent to Old English ele ( ne ), eolone (metathetic alteration of Medieval Latin enula, Latin inula elecampane) + Middle English campane < Medieval Latin campāna, equivalent to camp ( us ) field + -āna, feminine of -ānus -ane, -an

Example Sentences

God was in the details: in the petals of a cornflower or the veins of an elecampane leaf, in the grain of stone or the purling of a brook.

From Time Magazine Archive

Take powdered elecampane root, powdered liquorice root, powdered anise seed, and sulphur, of each one dram.

From The Ladies Book of Useful Information Compiled from many sources by Anonymous

Doctor Harmon arose and followed him to the gold garden, and together they stood beside the molten hedge of sunflowers, coneflowers, elecampane, and jewel flower.

From The Harvester by Stratton-Porter, Gene

There wormwood, sage wine, elecampane, quince and lemon drinks, with hippocras, were to clear the heads and stomachs of the drinkers; for for one and all there was the devil to pay.

From The Adventurous Simplicissimus being the description of the Life of a Strange vagabond named Melchior Sternfels von Fuchshaim by Grimmelshausen, Hans Jacob Christoph von

There is marjoram and sage, clary, spearmint, peppermint, salsify, elecampane, tansy, assafœtida, coriander, angelica, caper spurge, lamb's lettuce, and sorrel.

From Nature Near London by Jefferies, Richard