lungwort

American  

[luhng-wurt, -wawrt] / ˈlʌŋˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt /

noun

1. a European plant, Pulmonaria officinalis, of the borage family, having blue flowers.

2. any of various related plants of the genus Mertensia, as the North American M. virginica Virginia bluebell, having nodding clusters of blue flowers.

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lungwort British  

/ ˈlʌŋˌwɜːt /

noun

1. any of several Eurasian plants of the boraginaceous genus Pulmonaria, esp P. officinalis, which has spotted leaves and clusters of blue or purple flowers: formerly used to treat lung diseases

2. any of various boraginaceous plants of the N temperate genus Mertensia, such as Mertensia maritima (sea lungwort), having drooping clusters of tubular usually blue flowers

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Etymology

Origin of lungwort

First recorded before 1000; Middle English long-wort, lung-wort “hellebore,” Old English lungen-wyrt; see origin at lung, wort ²

Example Sentences

The blues and pinks of lungwort are as psychedelic as a Los Angeles sunset.

From The Guardian • Mar. 20, 2020

Such are the pansy, violet, speedwell, hairbell, lungwort, blue geranium, etc.

From Birds and Man by Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)

The Rabbis have taught that these six things possess medicinal virtue:—Cabbage, lungwort, beetroot, water, and certain parts of the offal of animals, and some also say little fishes.

From Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala by Various

In the wood the daffodil is plentiful, primroses, lungwort, and the blue iris also abound in their season.

From Pictures in Colour of the Isle of Wight by Jarrold and Sons

The lilies of the valley are her tears, and a German nickname for the lungwort is "Our Lady's milk-wort."

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