tansy
tansy Lexical Profile
tansy Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A tall, pungent perennial herb (Tanacetum vulgare) of the aster family native to temperate Eurasia, having finely divided fern-like leaves and flat-topped clusters of small, button-like golden-yellow flower heads.
"Clusters of bright yellow tansy bloomed along the sunny roadside throughout late summer."
Any of several related or similar aromatic plants of the composite family (Asteraceae), especially those of the genus Tanacetum or certain ragworts (such as tansy ragwort), noted for their bitter, camphor-scented foliage.
"Gardeners often plant tansy near vegetable beds because its strong scent helps repel certain insect pests."
British A traditional English pudding, custard, or sweet omelet flavored with the bitter juice of young tansy leaves, historically eaten during Easter and springtime.
"In seventeenth-century England, a sweet baked tansy was a customary dish served at Easter feasts."
• Rhymes for tansy
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French tanesie, from Medieval Latin tanacetum, an alteration of Late Latin athanasia, from Ancient Greek athanasía ('immortality'), referencing either the long-lasting dried flowers or the plant's historical use in embalming and medicine.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.