spleenwort

American  

[spleen-wurt, -wawrt] / ˈsplinˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt /

noun

1. any of various temperate and tropical ferns of the genera Asplenium and Diplazium, certain species of which are grown as ornamentals.

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spleenwort British  

/ ˈspliːnˌwɜːt /

noun

1. any of various ferns of the genus Asplenium, esp A. trichomanes, that often grows on walls, having linear or oblong sori on the undersurface of the fronds See also asplenium

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Etymology

Origin of spleenwort

First recorded in 1570–80; spleen + wort ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spleenwort

Plant maidenhair spleenwort in a container, where you can appreciate its beauty up close.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 18, 2023

She recognised many familiar points en route, the bank where the spleenwort grew, the ruined shed, a supposed relic of smuggling days, the barbed-wire fence, the group of elder trees, and the blackberry bank.

From Monitress Merle by Brazil, Angela

"That is Hart's Tongue, you know—that is wall spleenwort, and that is the other kind; handsome things are they not?"

From The Old Helmet, Volume II by Warner, Susan

Still other species of ferns are known to hybridize more or less, as we saw in the case of Scott's spleenwort.

From The Fern Lover's Companion A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada by Tilton, George Henry

She carried that look with her as she went down the hill beneath the oaks and between the sunlit patches of brakes, spleenwort, and lady-ferns.

From The Side Of The Angels A Novel by King, Basil