houseleek

[ hous-leek ]

noun
  1. Also called old-man-and-old-woman. a succulent plant, Sempervivum tectorum, of the stonecrop family, native to Europe, having reddish flowers and leaves forming dense basal rosettes.

  2. any other plant of the genus Sempervivum.

Origin of houseleek

1
First recorded in 1325–75, houseleek is from the Middle English word howsleke.See house, leek

Words Nearby houseleek

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How to use houseleek in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for houseleek

houseleek

/ (ˈhaʊsˌliːk) /


noun
  1. any Old World crassulaceous plant of the genus Sempervivum, esp S. tectorum, which has a rosette of succulent leaves and pinkish flowers: grows on walls: Also called: hen-and-chickens

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