St. John's wort

American  

[saynt-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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

St. John's wort

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

The authors note, however, that the studies were relatively short and the “Evidence on the long-term efficacy and safety of St. John’s wort is limited …”

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2021

Chicory, St. John’s wort, thimbleberries and other plants and herbs grow wild on the property.

From New York Times ● Sep. 17, 2021

He went on to list some of the supplements that haven’t shown benefits in trials: turmeric, St. John’s wort, ginkgo, echinacea.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 24, 2020

The elder was invested with similar properties, which seem to have been more potent than even those attributed to the St. John's wort.

From The Folk-lore of Plants by T. F. Thiselton (Thomas Firminger Thiselton) Dyer

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