fumitory
[fyoo-mi-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]
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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.
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
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for fumitory
Historical Examples of fumitory
The green leaves of the Fumitory are very delicate and pretty.
Flowers Shown to the ChildrenC. E. Smith
The fumitory is a perpetual bloomer from July till killed by the autumn frosts.
RiverbyJohn Burroughs
Diadelphia: stamens united into two distinct sets; as in fumitory.
Lives of Eminent Zoologists, from Aristotle to LinnusWilliam MacGillivray
Fumitory helps such as are itchy and scabbed, helps Rickets, madness, and quartain agues.
Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay ColonyGeorge Francis Dow
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 PharmacyCharles John Samuel Thompson
fumitory
noun plural -ries
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
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