oregano

[ uh-reg-uh-noh, aw-reg‐ ]

/ əˈrɛg əˌnoʊ, ɔˈrɛg‐ /

noun

an aromatic herb, Origanum vulgare, of the mint family, having leaves used as seasoning in cooking.

Nearby words

Compare marjoram.

Origin of oregano

1765–75; < American Spanish orégano, Spanish: wild marjoram < Latin orīganum. See origan

Also called pot marjoram.

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

Examples from the Web for oregano

Goats milk is the closest equivalent to human breast milk and I always take these in combination with oil of oregano capsules.
These Are The 15 Supplements to Keep In Your Medicine Cabinet|Ari Meisel|December 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For an herbal infusion, dress the beans with rosemary or oregano, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Snack Mixes That Won't Bite Back|Stacey Slate|December 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
It calls for Calabrian oregano on the branch, which if you can get from your local Italian food store, is always worth the effort.
5 Recipes from a New York Restaurant Juggernaut|Cookstr.com|November 17, 2009|DAILY BEAST
These lamb burgers buzz with Greek flavors—garlic, oregano, and mint.
The Humble Burger Goes Glam|Katie Workman|June 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST

She smelled faintly of garlic, oregano and some kind of incense, maybe sandalwood.
Tinker's Dam|Joseph Tinker
There is no danger of inflammation—nothing beats the oregano for preventing that, and you need not be afraid of fever.
Wood Rangers|Mayne Reid

British Dictionary definitions for oregano

oregano

/ (ˌɒrɪˈɡɑːnəʊ) /

noun

a Mediterranean variety of wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), with pungent leaves

the dried powdered leaves of this plant, used to season food

Word Origin for oregano

C18: American Spanish, from Spanish, from Latin orīganum, from Greek origanon an aromatic herb, perhaps marjoram

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

Word Origin and History for oregano

oregano

1771, from Spanish or American Spanish oregano, from Latin origanus, origanum, from Greek oreiganon, from oros "mountain" (see oread) + ganos "brightness, ornament." The older form of the word in English was the Latin-derived origanum (mid-13c.), also origan (early 15c.). In Europe, the dried leaves of wild marjoram; in America, a different, and more pungent, shrub.