ground ivy

American  

noun

1. a creeping, aromatic plant, Glechoma hederacea, of the mint family, having rounded leaves and whorling clusters of small blue flowers.

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ground ivy British  

noun

1. a creeping or trailing Eurasian aromatic herbaceous plant, Glechoma (or Nepeta ) hederacea, with scalloped leaves and purplish-blue flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

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Etymology

Origin of ground ivy

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

Forget the impending dandelions and violets; I’m talking about established winter weeds, whose roots now go deep — interlopers like henbit, chickweed, bittercress and ground ivy.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 29, 2021

It was designed to control weeds such as dandelions, clover, thistle, plantains and ground ivy.

From Reuters • Sep. 15, 2014

One morning I had a class in the field studying the ground ivy, whose dainty blue flowers were lifting themselves out of the dewy grass.

From The Meaning of Evolution by Schmucker, Samuel Christian

Cat's-foot.—A plant of the genus Glechoma pes felinus, ground ivy or gill.

From Our Cats and All About Them Their Varieties, Habits, and Management; and for Show, the Standard of Excellence and Beauty; Described and Pictured by Weir, Harrison

The tritoma, with its brilliant red blossom, is familiar in most localities as the "devil's poker," and the ground ivy has been nicknamed the "devil's candlestick," the mandrake supplying his candle.

From The Folk-lore of Plants by Dyer, T. F. Thiselton (Thomas Firminger Thiselton)