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sweet gale

noun
  1. an aromatic shrub, Myrica gale, of marshes, having lance-shaped leaves and yellowish fruit.
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Origin of sweet gale

First recorded in 1630–40
Also called bog myrtle, moor myrtle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for moor myrtle

sweet gale

noun
  1. a shrub, Myrica gale, of northern swamp regions, having yellow catkin-like flowers and aromatic leaves: family MyricaceaeAlso called: bog myrtle Often shortened to: gale
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Word Origin for sweet gale

C17: see gale ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012