wormwood
Americannoun
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any composite herb or low shrub of the genus Artemisia.
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a bitter, aromatic plant, A. absinthium, of the Old World, used as a vermifuge and a tonic, and as an ingredient in absinthe.
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something bitter, grievous, or extremely unpleasant.
noun
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Also called: absinthe. any of various plants of the chiefly N temperate genus Artemisia, esp A. absinthium, a European plant yielding a bitter extract used in making absinthe: family Asteraceae (composites)
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something that embitters, such as a painful experience
Etymology
Origin of wormwood
1350–1400; late Middle English wormwode ( see worm, wood 1); replacing Middle English wermode, Old English wermōd; cognate with German Wermut; see vermouth
Compare meaning
How does wormwood compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Use the noun wormwood to describe a strong-smelling, shrubby plant of the genus Artemisia. The form of this word that designates an aromatic shrub is probably influenced by folk etymology, since neither worms nor wood have much to do with the plant: in Old English it is wermod. Among other uses, it is the primary flavoring in the absinthe, and sometimes in vermouth: a word with a similar sound and a common ancestor.
Vocabulary lists containing wormwood
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Me (Moth)
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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.
Once described by comedian John Hodgeman as tasting of “pencil shavings and heartbreak,” Jeppson’s Malört is a polarizing wormwood and anise-flavored liqueur that’s kind of a secret handshake among Chicagoans.
From Salon • Aug. 19, 2024
After adding dry vermouth and wormwood bitters, Muir shakes and strains the drink and garnishes it with a fir sprig.
From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2023
As Azzuz finished her ceremonial prayer, the wormwood that coaxed the first flames was replaced with modern “drip torches” — canisters of gasoline and diesel with spouts and wicks.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2021
The field wormwood plants grow on one of the tiniest reserves in England in Brandon, Suffolk.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2021
‘If the rowan leaves and the pouch couldn’t hide the river eyes,’ he said, ‘why do you think bark and wormwood can do any better?’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
