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.

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. 2018

Examples from the Web for ragwort

Historical Examples of ragwort

Just before I got to the hills a field of ragwort (senesio jacobœa) buried the cows.
A Tour in Ireland
Arthur Young
At night it will visit flowers, especially those of the ragwort.
The Moths of the British Isles, Second Series
Richard South
Yellow-stick, the ragwort or ragweed, which grows to a great size in Ireland.
The Fairy Mythology
Thomas Keightley
Our kinds have many common names, such as Groundsel, Ragwort, and Squaw-weed.
Field Book of Western Wild Flowers
Margaret Armstrong
The senecio (ragwort), a species with finely cut leaves (S. millefolium), was first seen on Missionary Ridge.
Spring notes from Tennessee
Bradford Torrey

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

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