tansy

[ tan-zee ]

/ ˈtæn zi /

noun, plural tan·sies.

any of several composite plants of the genus Tanacetum, especially a strong-scented, weedy, Old World herb, T. vulgare, having flat-topped clusters of tubular yellow flowers.

Nearby words

Origin of tansy

1225–75; Middle English < Old French tanesie, aphetic variant of atanesie < Medieval Latin athanasia < Greek athanasía immortality, equivalent to a- a-⁶ + thánat(os) death (see Thanatos) + -ia -y³, with ti < si

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tansy

Plants of pinnated leaves, as the Tansy, are more sensible than these to the effects of light.
Epidemics Examined and Explained: or, Living Germs Proved by Analogy to be a Source of Disease|John Grove
And then to go to the minister's and feast on bread, cheese and ale, on bacon and tansy pudding.
Letters of Peregrine Pickle|George P. Upton
The oil of tansy has a specific gravity of 0·946, the penetrating odour of the tanacetum vulgare, with an acrid and bitter taste.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure
Yessum, dey had a doctor sometime, but de most dey done wuz give 'em hoarhound, yellow root and tansy.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume IV, Georgia Narratives, Part 1|Work Projects Administration

Tansy was highly esteemed in England as a medicine, a cosmetic, and a flavoring and ingredient in cooking.
Old-Time Gardens|Alice Morse Earle

British Dictionary definitions for tansy

tansy

/ (ˈtænzɪ) /

noun plural -sies

any of numerous plants of the genus Tanacetum, esp T. vulgare, having yellow flowers in flat-topped clusters and formerly used in medicine and for seasoning: family Asteraceae (composites)

any of various similar plants

Word Origin for tansy

C15: from Old French tanesie, from Medieval Latin athanasia tansy (with reference to its alleged power to prolong life), from Greek: immortality

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

Word Origin and History for tansy

tansy

(Tanacetum vulgare), mid-13c., from Old French tanesie (13c.), from Gallo-Romance *tanaceta, from Late Latin tanacetum "wormwood," from shortened form of Greek athanasia "immortality," so called probably for its persistence. English folklore associates it with pregnancy, either as an aid to contraception or to provoke miscarriage.