gentian

[ jen-shuhn ]

/ ˈdʒɛn ʃən /

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noun

any of several plants of the genera Gentiana,Gentianella, and Gentianopsis, having usually blue, or sometimes yellow, white, or red, flowers, as the fringed gentian of North America, or Gentiana lutea, of Europe.Compare gentian family.

any of various plants resembling the gentian.

the root of G. lutea, or a preparation of it, used as a tonic.

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Origin of gentian

1350–1400; Middle English gencian<Latin gentiāna; said to be named after Gentius, an Illyrian king

Words nearby gentian

Genseric, gent, gentamicin, genteel, genteelism, gentian, gentianaceous, gentian blue, gentianella, gentian family, gentian violet

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

How to use gentian in a sentence

The dose and properties resemble those of extract of gentian.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
The principal consumption of extract of gentian is by the brewers, in lieu of hops.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
When the blind gentian speaks out like that the emphasis must be multiplied a hundred fold.
The American Country Girl|Martha Foote Crow
So in October, when the fields are brown with frost, the blue and fringed gentian meets your eye, filling with thankful tears.
Speeches, Addresses, and Occasional Sermons, Volume 2 (of 3)|Theodore Parker

Gentian roots beaten into a powder, and a drachm of it taken every morning in wine, are an extraordinary remedy.
The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for gentian

gentian

/ (ˈdʒɛnʃən) /

noun

any gentianaceous plant of the genera Gentiana or Gentianella, having blue, yellow, white, or red showy flowers

the bitter-tasting dried rhizome and roots of Gentiana lutea (European or yellow gentian), which can be used as a tonic

any of several similar plants, such as the horse gentian

Word Origin for gentian

C14: from Latin gentiāna; perhaps named after Gentius, a second-century bc Illyrian king, reputedly the first to use it medicinally

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