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

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

A: The use of the herb St. John’s wort remains quite controversial.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 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

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

"Now, sweetheart," said she, calmly, to the little lad, "you may get me the flowers; and if you find any more of the bind-weed bells and the St. John's wort, so much the better."

From Judith Shakespeare Her love affairs and other adventures by Black, William