St. John's wort
Americannoun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
As a result, people taking St. John’s wort might be more vulnerable to macular degeneration or even cataracts.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2023
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
Old magic herbs, as endive, verbena, St. John's wort, chickweed, vervain, mallow, and garlick were used as charms, and the most powerful of all, the deadly nightshade.
From Pictures of German Life in the XVth XVIth and XVIIth Centuries, Vol. II. by Freytag, Gustav
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
