lovage
lovage Lexical Profile
lovage Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A tall herbaceous perennial plant native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia, belonging to the celery family, cultivated for its aromatic leaves, stems, and seeds.
"The gardener planted lovage at the back of the herb border, knowing its stalks could eventually reach over six feet in height."
The edible leaves, stems, roots, or seeds of the lovage plant, used as a culinary herb or spice to impart a strong, savory flavor resembling a cross between celery and parsley.
"She added a finely chopped pinch of lovage to the potato and leek soup to deepen its earthy, savory profile."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'loveache', altered by folk etymology (as if 'love' + 'ache', an old word for parsley) from Old French 'luvesche', which derives from Late Latin 'levisticum', ultimately from Latin 'ligusticum' meaning 'of Liguria', a region in northwestern Italy where the herb grew abundantly.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.