mezereum

[ muh-zeer-ee-uh m ]

/ məˈzɪər i əm /

noun

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

Nearby words

mezail, mezcal, mezcaline, meze, mezereon, mezereum, mezlocillin, mezuzah, mezza voce, mezzaluna, mezzanine

Also me·ze·re·on

[muh-zeer-ee-on] /məˈzɪər iˌɒn/.

Origin of mezereum

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

Also called daphne.

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

Examples from the Web for mezereum

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
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