houseleek

American  

[hous-leek] / ˈhaʊsˌlik /

noun

houseleeks plural

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.

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houseleek British  

/ ˈhaʊsˌliːk /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• houseleeks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of houseleek

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

houseleek houseleeks

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 has been known variously as the houselick, homewort or great houseleek.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 7 "Horticulture" to "Hudson Bay" by Various

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

From The Life of the Fields by Jefferies, Richard

Soft brown mosses, like faded velveteen, formed cushions upon the stone tiling, and tufts of the houseleek or sengreen sprouted from the eaves of the low surrounding buildings.

From Far from the Madding Crowd by Hardy, Thomas

There's a bit of houseleek on those tiles.

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

The red tiles of the houses edging the great square were gilded with yellow houseleeks.

From Wisdom, Wit, and Pathos of Ouida Selected from the Works of Ouida by Ouida

The Leaves.—This is a very thick-leaved juicy plant, not unlike the houseleeks.

From The Botanist's Companion, Volume II by Salisbury, William

There was a box crowded full of green houseleeks down at the side of the door: they were straying over the edge, and Melissa stooped stiffly down with an air of disapproval at their untidiness.

From Old Friends and New by Jewett, Sarah Orne

The roof, where there was any roof, was covered with moss and houseleeks; but the best part of it sustained the storks' nests—that was the only portion which was in tolerable repair.

From The Sand-Hills of Jutland by Bushby, Mrs. (Anna S.)