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Definition of sweet flag
sweet flag
Plural:sweet flags
sweet flag Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A tall, perennial wetland plant (Acorus calamus) of the family Acoraceae, native to Eurasia and North America, having aromatic sword-shaped leaves and bearing a dense, greenish-yellow cylindrical spike of tiny blossoms (spadix) emerging from the side of a leaf-like stem.
Example
"Stands of sweet flag grew along the muddy banks of the pond, releasing a citrusy fragrance whenever their leaves were crushed."
2
The spicy, fragrant rhizome (underground stem) of the sweet flag plant, historically candied as a confection or dried and ground for use in perfumery, bitters, and traditional herbal medicine.
Example
"The apothecary's shelf held jars of dried sweet flag, prized for its warm, cinnamon-like aroma."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for sweet flag• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sweet flag. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sweet flag