tarragon
Americannoun
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an Old World plant, Artemisia dracunculus, having aromatic leaves used for seasoning.
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the leaves themselves.
noun
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an aromatic perennial plant, Artemisia dracunculus, of the Old World, having whitish flowers and small toothed leaves, which are used as seasoning: family Asteraceae (composites)
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the leaves of this plant
Etymology
Origin of tarragon
1530–40; earlier taragon < Middle French targon, variant of tarc ( h ) on < Medieval Latin < Medieval Greek tarchṓn < Arabic ṭarkhūn < Greek drákōn literally, dragon; compare Latin dracunculus tarragon
Vocabulary lists containing tarragon
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.
Fold in winter herbs like tarragon, rosemary, or thyme, or add a swipe of really good mustard for heat and backbone.
From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025
I get some tarragon mustard made by Edmond Fallot and a bag of Martelli pasta.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025
To be fair, tarragon is often oddly hard to find in grocery stores near me.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2025
Asked which of four herbs had a distinct liquorice-like flavour, she chose the correct answer of tarragon.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2024
Her mother cooked the chicken’s body with tarragon leaves that had traveled in a plastic bag all the way from St. Louis.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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.
