motherwort

[ muhth -er-wurt, -wawrt ]
/ ˈmʌð ərˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt /

noun

a European plant, Leonorus cardiaca, of the mint family, an introduced weed in the U.S., having cut leaves with a whorl of lavender flowers in the axils.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of motherwort

1350–1400; Middle English moderwort (see mother1, wort2), so called because believed helpful for diseases of the womb

Words nearby motherwort

motherland, motherless, motherly, motherwell, motherwell and wishaw, motherwort, mothproof, mothy, moti, motif, motile
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for motherwort

British Dictionary definitions for motherwort

motherwort
/ (ˈmʌðəˌwɜːt) /

noun

any of several plants of the Eurasian genus Leonurus, esp L. cardiaca, having divided leaves and clusters of small purple or pink flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

Word Origin for motherwort

C14: so named because it was thought to be beneficial in uterine disorders
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