southernwood

American  

[suhth-ern-wood] / ˈsʌð ərnˌwʊd /

noun

1. a woody-stemmed wormwood, Artemisia abrotanum, of southern Europe, having aromatic, finely dissected leaves.

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southernwood British  

/ ˈsʌðənˌwʊd /

noun

1. Also called: old man, lad's love. an aromatic shrubby wormwood, Artemisia abrotanum, of S Europe, having finely dissected leaves and small drooping heads of yellowish flowers

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Etymology

Origin of southernwood

before 1000; Middle English southernwode, Old English sūtherne wudu. See southern, wood ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

southernwood

Sweet-briar and southernwood, jasmine, pink, and rose have long been yielding their evening sacrifice of incense: this new scent is neither of shrub nor flower; it is—I know it well—it is Mr. Rochester’s cigar.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

In odd corners there are sure to be a few specimens of southernwood, mugwort, and other herbs; not for use, but from adherence to the old customs.

From The Toilers of the Field by Richard Jefferies

If fresh southernwood is added each time it passes through the linen, the composition will be improved.

From The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness A Complete Hand Book for the Use of the Lady in Polite Society by Florence Hartley

Here, too, are sweet marjoram, rosemary, and rue; so also bay and thyme, and some pot-herbs whose use is forgotten, besides southernwood and wormwood.

From Wild Life in a Southern County by Richard Jefferies

She was just tucking a bit of southernwood into her bodice, when a voice on the other side of the hedge said softly,— “Jenny.”

From The Gold that Glitters The Mistakes of Jenny Lavender by W.O.E. Evans

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