Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

swallowwort

 - 5 dictionary results

swal⋅low⋅wort

  [swol-oh-wurt, -wawrt]
Use swallowwort in a Sentence
–noun
1. celandine (def. 1).
2. any of several plants of the milkweed family, esp. a climbing vine, Cynanchum nigrum (black swallowwort), native to Europe, having small, brownish flowers.
Origin:
1540–50; swallow 2 + wort 2

cel⋅an⋅dine

  [sel-uhn-dahyn, -deen]
–noun
1. Also called greater celandine, swallowwort. an Old World plant, Chelidonium majus, of the poppy family, having yellow flowers.
2. Also called lesser celandine. an Old World plant, Ranunculus ficaria, of the buttercup family, having fleshy, heart-shaped leaves and solitary yellow flowers.
Origin:
1275–1325; ME selandyne, var. of celydon < L chelīdonia greater celandine, chelīdonium lesser celandine < Gk chelīdónion, deriv. of chelīdn swallow; said to be so called because it blooms when the swallows return in spring
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To swallowwort
cel·an·dine   (sěl'ən-dīn', -dēn')   
n.  

  1. A perennial Eurasian herb (Chelidonium majus) having deeply divided leaves, showy yellow flowers, and yellow-orange latex. Also called swallowwort.

  2. The lesser celandine.


[Middle English celidoine, from Old French, from Medieval Latin celidōnia, from Latin chelīdonia, feminine of chelīdonium, from Greek khelīdonion, from khelīdōn, swallow (from the association by ancient writers of the blossoming of the plant with the return of the swallows in spring); see ghel-1 in Indo-European roots.]
swal·low·wort   (swŏl'ō-wûrt', -wôrt')   
n.  

  1. See celandine.

  2. Any of several vines of the genus Cynanchum, especially C. nigrum, native to Europe, having clusters of small brownish-purple flowers.


[From the shape of its pod.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: cel·an·dine
Pronunciation: 'sel-&n-"dIn, -"dEn
Function: noun
: a yellow-flowered biennial Eurasian herb (Chelidoniummajus) of the poppy family naturalized in the eastern U.S. that has been used medicinally especially as a diuretic —see CHELIDONIUM 2
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see swallowwort on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way