gentian
gentian Lexical Profile
gentian Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of various herbaceous flowering plants of the genus Gentiana and related genera in the family Gentianaceae, native primarily to alpine and temperate habitats worldwide and prized for their vivid, trumpet-shaped blue, purple, or yellow blossoms.
"Clusters of deep blue gentians bloomed across the rocky alpine meadow in late summer."
The bitter-tasting dried rhizome and roots of the yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea), used in herbal medicine as a digestive tonic and as a flavoring agent in aperitifs and liqueurs.
"The traditional herbal bitters were infused with gentian and dried orange peel to aid digestion."
• Rhymes for gentian
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived via Old French from Latin gentiana, traditionally named by Pliny the Elder after Gentius, a second-century BC king of Illyria who was credited with discovering the medicinal properties of the plant's root.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.