saxifrage
saxifrage Lexical Profile
saxifrage Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of various low-growing, often cushion-forming perennial flowering plants of the genus Saxifraga (family Saxifragaceae), native to arctic, alpine, and temperate rocky habitats, cultivated in rock gardens for their basal rosettes of leaves and clusters of small, five-petaled star-shaped blossoms in shades of white, pink, yellow, or purple.
"Delicate white saxifrage bloomed in the narrow crevices of the limestone cliff."
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French saxifrage, from Latin saxifraga ('stone-breaking'), formed from saxum ('rock') and frangere ('to break'). The name refers both to the plant's habit of growing in rocky crevices and to the ancient medicinal belief that it could dissolve kidney or bladder stones.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.