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Lungwort

 - 4 dictionary results

lung⋅wort

[luhng-wurt, -wawrt]
–noun
1. a European plant, Pulmonaria officinalis, of the borage family, having blue flowers.
2. any of various related plants of the genus Mertensia, as the North American M. virginica, having nodding clusters of blue flowers.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME long-wort, lung-wort hellebore, OE lungen-wyrt; see lung, wort 2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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lung·wort   (lŭng'wûrt', -wôrt')   
n.  
  1. Any of various plants of the genus Mertensia, such as the Virginia cowslip, having drooping clusters of tubular, usually blue flowers.

  2. Any of several European plants of the genus Pulmonaria, having long-stalked leaves and coiled clusters of blue or purple flowers and formerly used in treating respiratory disorders.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: lung·wort
Pronunciation: -"w&rt, -"wo(&)rt
Function: noun
1 : any of several plants formerly used in the treatment ofrespiratory disorders; especially : a European herb (Pulmonaria officinalis) of the borage family (Boraginaceae) with rough hairy leaves and bluish flowers
2 : a widely distributed lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria) formerly used in the treatment of bronchitis and now to some extent in perfumes and in tanning extracts
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Encyclopedia

lungwort

any plant of the genus Pulmonaria of the family Boraginaceae, especially P. officinalis, an herbaceous, hairy perennial plant, widespread in open woods and thickets of Europe. It is grown as a garden flower for its drooping, pink flowers that turn blue and for its often white-spotted leaves.

Learn more about lungwort with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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