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Definition of alyssum

alyssum

/əˈlɪs.əm/
a · lys · sum
Plural:alyssums
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alyssum Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A herbaceous Eurasian plant of the mustard family, typically bearing tight clusters of small, four-petaled white or yellow flowers, commonly cultivated in rock gardens and as decorative edging.

Example

"We planted sweet alyssum along the edge of the walkway to create a fragrant, low-growing border."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for alyssum

• Rhymes for alyssum

• Nearby Words

alumnus
alupag
always
alyssum
amakihi
amalgam
amalgamate

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from Latin 'alyssum', which comes from the Greek 'alusson', a plant historically believed by the ancients to cure rabies or madness (from 'a-' meaning 'without' and 'lyssa' meaning 'madness').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Alyssum. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/alyssum
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