ragwort

[rag-wurt, -wawrt]

noun

any of various composite plants of the genus Senecio, as S. jacobaea, of the Old World, having yellow flowers and irregularly lobed leaves, or S. aureus (golden ragwort), of North America, also having yellow flowers.

Nearby words

Origin of ragwort

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at rag¹, wort²

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

Examples from the Web for ragwort

The foolish boy likewise pulled his ragwort, and cried with the rest, "Up, horsie!"
The Letters of Robert Burns|Robert Burns
You may often see it sitting on flowers on sunny days in autumn, and it is especially fond of those of the ragwort.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood
Moths of the second generation often abound at the sugar patches, and on ragwort blossom.
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series|Richard South
He was in the act of rising to examine the spot, but he sank down directly, ducking his head behind a great tuft of ragwort.
Yule Logs|Various

There were large rocks and tangled masses of brambles, and faded clumps of ragwort and teasel, and yellow bracken stumps.
For the School Colours|Angela Brazil

British Dictionary definitions for ragwort

ragwort

noun

any of several plants of the genus Senecio, esp S. jacobaea of Europe, that have yellow daisy-like flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)See also groundsel (def. 1)

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 ragwort

ragwort

mid-15c., from ragged, in reference to the appearance of the leaves, + wort.