definitions

Furbish lousewort

[ fur-bish ]
/ ˈfɜr bɪʃ /

noun

See under lousewort.

Origin of Furbish lousewort

1975–80; after Kate Furbish (1834–1931), U.S. botanist, its discoverer

Definition for furbish lousewort (2 of 2)

lousewort

[ lous-wurt, -wawrt ]
/ ˈlaʊsˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt /

noun

any plant belonging to the genus Pedicularis, of the figwort family, as the wood betony, formerly supposed to cause lice in sheep feeding on it: one species, P. furbishiae (Furbish lousewort), of parts of Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, having finely toothed leaves and a cluster of yellow flowers, is endangered and was thought to be extinct until specimens were discovered in 1946 and again in 1976.

Origin of lousewort

First recorded in 1570–80; louse + wort2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for furbish lousewort

lousewort

/ (ˈlaʊsˌwɜːt) /

noun

any of various N temperate scrophulariaceous plants of the genus Pedicularis, having spikes of white, yellow, or mauve flowersSee also betony (def. 3)
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