houseleek

American

[hous-leek] / ˈhaʊsˌlik /

noun

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.
any other plant of the genus Sempervivum.

houseleek British

/ ˈhaʊsˌliːk /

noun

Also called: hen-and-chickens. 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

"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

Etymology

Origin of houseleek

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Surviving with him are a few sempervivums, or everlivings�among them the European houseleek, sometimes known as "hen and chickens"�a proper plant for this chickenhearted man.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ivy for burns, comfrey for fever, foxglove for heart pain, laurel leaves for ringworm, houseleek for the eyes, the web of a spider for bleeding.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

The houseleek is still used for the cure of wounds and cuts.

From The Life of the Fields by Jefferies, Richard

The flowering houseleek covered the thatched roofs with purple patches.

From Toilers of the Sea by Hugo, Victor

It is true that in that dim light the houseleek was only a dusky little knob.

From Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. 22, November, 1878 of Popular Literature and Science by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023