pepperwort

American

[pep-er-wurt, -wawrt] / ˈpɛp ərˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt /

noun

water clover.

pepperwort British

/ ˈpɛpəˌwɜːt /

noun

any of various temperate and tropical aquatic or marsh ferns of the genus Marsilea, having floating leaves consisting of four leaflets: family Marsileaceae
Usual US and Canadian name: peppergrass. any of several plants of the genus Lepidium, esp L. campestre, of dry regions of Eurasia, having small white flowers and pungent seeds: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

"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

Etymology

Origin of pepperwort

First recorded in 1555–65; pepper + wort ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The heat increased; warmed by the sun, the pepperwort of the cliffs and the thickets of nard began to give out a strong and intoxicating odor.

From Hania by Sienkiewicz, Henryk

CARVACROL, or CYMOPHENOL, C10H13OH, or a constituent of the ethereal oil of Origanum hirtum, oil of thyme, oil obtained from pepperwort, and wild bergamot.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 "Carnegie Andrew" to "Casus Belli" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023