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purslane

American  
[purs-leyn, -lin] / ˈpɜrs leɪn, -lɪn /

noun

  1. a low, trailing plant, Portulaca oleracea, having yellow flowers, used as a salad plant and potherb.

  2. any other plant of the purslane family.


purslane British  
/ ˈpɜːslɪn, -leɪn /

noun

  1. a weedy portulacaceous plant, Portulaca oleracea, with small yellow flowers and fleshy leaves, which are used in salads and as a potherb

  2. any of various similar or related plants, such as sea purslane and water purslane

"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 purslane

1350–1400; Middle English purcelan ( e ) < Middle French porcelaine < Late Latin porcillāgin- (stem of porcillāgō ), for Latin porcillāca, variant of portulāca portulaca

Vocabulary lists containing purslane

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.

White clover and edible purslane both attract beneficial insects, for instance.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 16, 2024

Even in summer, Reem cycles in grilled or raw corn, pomegranate seeds, pickled cherries, or fresh purslane.

From Salon • Aug. 8, 2022

On the parking strip, she planted white sage, rock purslane, germander sage, ice plants and scattered Theodore Payne’s roadside wildflower mix, which was a magnet for bees before the gophers went after the plants.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2022

Specifically, the meticulously rendered purslane, creeping Charlie and ragweed are translations of those Assiff observed last year at All Faiths Cemetery in Queens, where the particularly robust overgrowth flourished under negligence.

From New York Times • Oct. 13, 2021

The room faced the yard and overlooked the long, sloping garden, which was filled with flowers: bright red geraniums, sweet-smelling mignonette, and purslane with red, orange, yellow, and pink blossoms.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman