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fireweed

 - 3 dictionary results

fire⋅weed

[fahyuhr-weed]
–noun
any of various plants appearing in recently burned clearings, as the willow herb, Epilobium angustifolium.

Origin:
1775–85, Americanism; fire + weed 1

pile⋅wort

[pahyl-wurt, -wawrt]
–noun
1. Also called fireweed. a weedy composite plant, Erechtites hieracifolia, having narrow flower heads enclosed in green bracts.
2. a North American figwort, Scrophularia marilandica, having small, greenish flowers.
3. lesser celandine.

Origin:
1570–80; pile 4 + wort 1 , so called from its use in medicine
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To fireweed
fire·weed   (fīr'wēd')   
n.  
  1. Any of various plants of the genus Epilobium, especially E. angustifolium, having long, terminal, spikelike clusters of pinkish-purple flowers. Also called willow herb.

  2. Any of several weedy North American plants of the genus Erechtites, having small white or greenish flowers grouped in discoid heads.

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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