mezereum

[ muh-zeer-ee-uhm ]

noun

a shrub, Daphne mezereum, native to Eurasia, having clusters of fragrant purplish flowers.

Origin of mezereum

1470–80; (<New Latin ) <Medieval Latin mezereon<Arabic māzaryūn<Persian

Also called daphne.

Also me·ze·re·on [muh-zeer-ee-on]. /məˈzɪər iˌɒn/.

Words Nearby mezereum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mezereum in a sentence

Daphne mezereum, the mezereon—in Selborne Hanger among the shrubs, at the south-east end above the cottages.
The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 2 | Gilbert White
There is the little pale pink, Daphne mezereum, that flowers before its leaves come in April.
The Garden, You, and I | Mabel Osgood Wright
There are several very distinct varieties, of which the white-flowered D. mezereum flore albo is one of the most valuable.
Hardy Ornamental Flowering Trees and Shrubs | A. D. Webster
A peculiar bitter principle, discovered by Vauquelin in the Daphne mezereum or mezereon.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I | Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for mezereum

mezereum

mezereon

/ (mɪˈzɪərɪəm) /

noun

the dried bark of certain shrubs of the genus Daphne, esp mezereon, formerly used as a vesicant and to treat arthritis

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

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