wood sorrel

American  

noun

1. any of numerous plants of the genus Oxalis, especially O. acetosella, of Eurasia, having heart-shaped, trifoliolate leaves and white, pink-veined flowers.

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wood sorrel British  

noun

1. a Eurasian plant, Oxalis acetosella, having trifoliate leaves, an underground creeping stem, and white purple-veined flowers: family Oxalidaceae

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Etymology

Origin of wood sorrel

1515–25; translation of French sorrel de bois; replacing woodsour, so called from sour taste of the leaves

Compare meaning

How does wood-sorrel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• wood sorrel vs. clover

Example Sentences

We’ve grown especially fond of snowberry, flowering currant, our two native strawberries, wood sorrel, vine maple and of course, our state flower, the Pacific rhododendron.

From Seattle Times

He writes about his changing surroundings month by month, from spiders to sparrows, worms to wood sorrel.

From BBC

The greens typically called weeds that get ripped out of backyards make a delicious salad and can be a bold garnish — think of purslane, or wood sorrel.

From New York Times

In terms of salads, common hawthorn leaves, chickweed, wood sorrel and wild rocket are all available.

From BBC

Home to Regan is beyond the reach of modern technology, tramping the loamy forest foraging for mushrooms, wood sorrel and tiny wild strawberries.

From Washington Post