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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We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
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Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
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
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