fumitory

[ fyoo-mi-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

/ ˈfyu mɪˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

Save This Word!

noun, plural fu·mi·to·ries.

any plant of the genus Fumaria, especially a delicate herb, F. officinalis, having finely dissected, grayish leaves and spikes of purplish flowers.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of fumitory

1350–1400; alteration of earlier fumiterre,Middle English fumetere<Middle French <Medieval Latin fūmus terrae literally, smoke of the earth; literal sense uncertain

Words nearby fumitory

fumigate, fumigation, fumigator, fuming nitric acid, fuming sulphuric acid, fumitory, fumitory family, fumy, fun, Funabashi, Funafuti

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fumitory in a sentence

The fumitory is a perpetual bloomer from July till killed by the autumn frosts.
Riverby|John Burroughs
Infusum fumari, L. From the herbaceous portion of common fumitory (Fumaria officinalis).
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Fumaric acid is found in fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), in various fungi (Agaricus piperatus, &c.), and in Iceland moss.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3|Various
Some fumitory appeared this summer in a field of barley; till then I had not observed any for some time in that district.
Nature Near London|Richard Jefferies

Fumitory, too, was grown by the housewives, and was used as a tonic and a remedy for jaundice.
The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy|Charles John Samuel Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for fumitory

fumitory

/ (ˈfjuːmɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

noun plural -ries

any plant of the chiefly European genus Fumaria, esp F. officinalis, having spurred flowers and formerly used medicinally: family Fumariaceae

Word Origin for fumitory

C14: from Old French fumetere, from Medieval Latin fūmus terrae, literally: smoke of the earth; see fume

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