milkwort

[ milk-wurt, -wawrt ]

noun
  1. any plant or shrub of the genus Polygala, formerly supposed to increase the secretion of milk.

Origin of milkwort

1
First recorded in 1570–80; milk + wort2

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for milkwort

milkwort

/ (ˈmɪlkˌwɜːt) /


noun
  1. any of several plants of the genus Polygala, having small blue, pink, or white flowers with two petal-like sepals: family Polygalaceae. They were formerly believed to increase milk production in cows: See also senega

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012