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woodruff

[ wood-ruhf, -ruhf ]
/ ˈwʊd rəf, -ˌrʌf /

noun

any of several plants belonging to the genus Asperula or Galium, of the madder family, as G. odoratum(sweet woodruff ), a fragrant plant with small white flowers.

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Origin of woodruff

before 1000; Middle English woderove,Old English wudurofe, wudurife, equivalent to wuduwood1 + -rofe, -rife, element of uncertain meaning; compare German Rübe carrot

Words nearby woodruff

wood ray, Woodridge, Wood River, wood rose, Woodrow, woodruff, Woodruff key, woodrush, Woods, wood sage, wood screw

Definition for woodruff (2 of 2)

Woodruff
[ wood-ruhf ]
/ ˈwʊd rəf /

noun

Hiram, 1817–67, Canadian driver, trainer, and breeder of harness-racing horses.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for woodruff

British Dictionary definitions for woodruff

woodruff
/ (ˈwʊdrʌf) /

noun

any of several rubiaceous plants of the genus Galium, esp G. odoratum (sweet woodruff), of Eurasia, which has small sweet-scented white flowers and whorls of narrow fragrant leaves used to flavour wine and liqueurs and in perfumery

Word Origin for woodruff

Old English wudurofe, from wood 1 + rōfe, related to Old High German ruoba, Middle Low German rōve (beet)root, Latin rēpere to creep
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