pleurisy root

noun

a North American milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, whose root was used as a remedy for pleurisy.

the root.

Origin of pleurisy root

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

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

British Dictionary definitions for pleurisy root

pleurisy root

noun

the root of the butterfly weed, formerly used as a cure for pleurisy

another name for butterfly weed

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