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Definition of miner's lettuce
miner's lettuce
miner's lettuce Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
American A fleshy, edible wild plant (Claytonia perfoliata) native to the western mountain and coastal regions of North America, characterized by rounded leaves that form a cup around the stem and its high vitamin C content.
Example
"While hiking through the damp coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest, we foraged for miner's lettuce to add a fresh, crisp crunch to our evening salad."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Named for the California Gold Rush miners who frequently ate the plant to prevent scurvy, owing to its exceptionally high vitamin C content.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Miner's lettuce. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/miner's lettuce