hyssop

[ his-uh p ]

/ ˈhɪs əp /

noun

any of several aromatic herbs belonging to the genus Hyssopus, of the mint family, especially H. officinalis, native to Europe, having clusters of small blue flowers.

any of several related or similar plants, especially of the genera Agastache or Gratiola.

Bible. a plant, perhaps the origan, whose twigs were used in ceremonial sprinkling.

Nearby words

hyracotherium, hyrax, hyrcania, hyrcanian, hyson, hyssop, hyster-, hysteralgia, hysteratresia, hysterectomize, hysterectomy

Origin of hyssop

before 900; Middle English, Old English ysope < Late Latin ysōpus, for Latin hyssōpus < Greek hýssōpos < Semitic (compare Hebrew ēzōbh); conformed to Latin or Gk from mid-16th century

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hyssop

See Him, whom you led bound with cords into your prtorium, Him whose thirst you quenched with vinegar and hyssop!
The Death of the Gods|Dmitri Mrejkowski
Therefore, having first taken a drink of hyssop, come at the proper hour to the feast.
The Deipnosophists, or Banquet of the Learned of Athenus|Athenus
And he will purge the nation with fire and cleanse it with hyssop.
The Corner House Girls in a Play|Grace Brooks Hill
You see, Hyssop Burges was my mother, and when father died I had the rights of the story from her.
Humorous Ghost Stories|Dorothy Scarborough

It must be killed on the fourteenth of the month Abib as the sun is setting, and the blood must be sprinkled with hyssop.
Bible Animals;|J. G. Wood

British Dictionary definitions for hyssop

hyssop

/ (ˈhɪsəp) /

noun

a widely cultivated Asian plant, Hyssopus officinalis, with spikes of small blue flowers and aromatic leaves, used as a condiment and in perfumery and folk medicine: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

any of several similar or related plants such as the hedge hyssop

a Biblical plant, used for sprinkling in the ritual practices of the Hebrews

Word Origin for hyssop

Old English ysope, from Latin hyssōpus, from Greek hussōpos, of Semitic origin; compare Hebrew ēzōv

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

Word Origin and History for hyssop

hyssop

Old English ysope, from Irish Latin hysopus, from Greek hyssopos, a plant of Palestine, used in Jewish purification rites, from Hebrew 'ezobh (cf. Syriac zupha, Arabic zufa).