polygala
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of polygala
1570–80; < New Latin, genus name, special use of Latin polygala, for Greek polýgalon milkwort, literally, something very milky, equivalent to poly- poly- + -galon, derivative of gála milk; see galacto-
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.
A teeny green perennial herb called Polygala smallii, or tiny polygala, poked out from beneath my hiking boot.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 7, 2023
The neighbourhood is very rich in flora, small jonquils, daffodils, oxslips, hyacinths, violets, polygala, potentilla, anemones, Ramondia pyrenaïca, Primula farinosa, large and small gentians, linaria, and bee orchids being among the easiest to find.
From Twixt France and Spain by Bilbrough, E. Ernest
But the polygala is quite inodorous, while the guaco gives forth a strong aromatic smell, resembling valerian.
From The Quadroon Adventures in the Far West by Reid, Mayne
The spring-beauty, the painted trillium, the fringed polygala, the showy lady's-slipper, are all more striking to look upon, but they do not quite touch the heart; they lack the soul that perfume suggests.
From The Wit of a Duck and Other Papers by Burroughs, John
Youth, after all, is a shamefaced and secretive season; like the fringed polygala, it hides its real blossom underground.
From Little Rivers; a book of essays in profitable idleness by Van Dyke, Henry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
