St. John's wort

American  

[seynt-jonz wurt, wawrt] / ˌseɪntˈdʒɒnz ˌwɜrt, ˌwɔrt /

St. John's Wort,

noun

1. any of various plants or shrubs of the genus Hypericum, having yellow flowers and transparently dotted leaves.

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Etymology

Origin of St. John's wort

First recorded in 1745–55; so named because it was traditionally gathered on St. John's Eve to ward off evil

Example Sentences

A solitary figure who preferred working alone and needed large doses of St. John’s wort to get through days when his studio buzzed with people.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2025

St. John’s wort can also interact with many other medicines to reduce their effectiveness.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2021

Ingredient apps like Think Dirty help aficionados weigh the difference between mugwort and St. John’s wort.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 9, 2018

The first one I drank was tangerine and black currant juice dosed with rhodiola, St. John’s wort and albizia, which some believe fight anxiety and depression.

From New York Times • Jul. 3, 2017

Later in the year sprigs of St. John's wort were stuck into the chinks of the beams, and we considered their growth as omens whether our lives would be long or short.

From True Story of My Life by Howitt, Mary (Mary Botham)