ferula

[fer-oo-luh, fer-yoo-]

noun

plural

ferulas, ferulae 

1. Botany.,  any of various plants belonging to the genus Ferula, of the parsley family, chiefly of the Mediterranean region and central Asia, generally tall and coarse with dissected leaves, many of the Asian species yielding strongly scented, medicinal gum resins.

2. ferule.

ferula

/ ˌfɛruːˈleɪʃəs, ˌfɛrjuː-, ˈfɛrʊlə, ˈfɛrjʊ- /

noun

1. any large umbelliferous plant of the Mediterranean genus Ferula , having thick stems and dissected leaves: cultivated as the source of several strongly scented gum resins, such as galbanum

2. a rare word for ferule 1

Other Word Forms

• ferulaceous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ferula¹

1350–1400; Middle English < New Latin, Latin; ferule ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ferula¹

C14: from Latin: giant fennel

Example Sentences

Found in an area spanning no more than 39 square miles and frequently picked by mushroom hunters, the white ferula is currently teetering on the brink of extinction, with no formal legislation to protect it in the wild.

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He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron’s leg with his wand, and muttered, “Ferula. ”

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Check out the deference shown by the FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler who kneels and kisses the Papal ferula, the rod, of the incumbent Secular Pope, switching positions and imposing 300 pages of terrifyingly ambiguous “Net Neutrality” regulations.

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My sister Ferula helped me get closer to the del Valle family by uncovering distant links between our ancestors and theirs, and seeking out every opportunity to greet them as they came out of mass.

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It was a peasant, with a team of mules, who had brought a telegram from town, sent by my sister Ferula, telling me of Rosa’s death.

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