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euphrasy

[yoo-fruh-see]
noun, plural eu·phra·sies. Botany.
  1. eyebright.
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Origin of euphrasy

1425–75; late Middle English eufrasie < Medieval Latin eufrasia < Greek euphrasía cheerfulness, gladness (Compare euphraínein to cheer, be glad)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for euphrasy

Historical Examples

  • Club Moss is considered good for all diseases of the eyes, and Euphrasy and Rue for dimness of sight.

    Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics

    Richard Folkard

  • Under the name of euphrasy it formerly enjoyed a great reputation in diseases of the eyes.

  • The words "euphrasy and rue" kept ringing in his brain, coming over and over with an awful mingling of chime and toll.

    David Elginbrod

    George MacDonald

  • Euphrasy or eyebright with its little bright eye was a medicine for sore eyes.

British Dictionary definitions for euphrasy

euphrasy

noun plural -sies
  1. another name for eyebright
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Word Origin

C15 eufrasie: from Medieval Latin eufrasia, from Greek euphrasia gladness, from euphrainein to make glad, from eu- + phrēn mind
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