kidney vetch

kidney vetch

noun
an Old World plant, Anthyllis vulneraria, of the legume family, formerly used as a remedy for kidney diseases.
Also called woundwort.


Origin:
1700–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Kidney vetch is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
kidney vetch
 
n
Also called: ladies' fingers a silky leguminous perennial plant, Anthyllis vulneraria, of Europe and N Africa, with yellow or orange flowers

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

kidney vetch

perennial herb, of the pea family (Fabaceae), found in meadows, alpine pastures, and dry places of Europe and northern Africa. The low, hairy plant grows to a height of 15-40 cm (6-16 inches) and has narrow leaves 1.4-3.8 cm (0.5-1.5 inches) long and yellow, reddish, or white flowers. It was formerly used as a remedy for kidney disorders but is now frequently cultivated in rock gardens.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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