mad-dog skullcap

[ mad-dawg, -dog ]

noun

, Botany.

1. a North American skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora, having underground stems and one-sided clusters of blue to white flowers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mad-dog skullcap¹

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; so called because it was formerly used as an antispasmodic