woundwort
woundwort Lexical Profile
woundwort Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of various herbaceous flowering plants of the mint family (Lamiaceae), especially of the genus Stachys, bearing spikes of tubular two-lipped purple, pink, or yellow blossoms and downy foliage traditionally used in herbal medicine to staunch and heal wounds.
"Purple spikes of marsh woundwort bloomed along the damp edges of the meadow throughout late summer."
A Eurasian perennial flowering plant (Anthyllis vulneraria) of the pea family (Fabaceae), commonly known as kidney vetch, producing dense rounded heads of yellow to red-tipped blossoms on dry calcareous grasslands.
"Clusters of yellow woundwort carpeted the chalky coastal cliffs."
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English woundwort, a compound of wound and wort (from Old English wyrt, meaning 'plant' or 'herb'), reflecting the traditional herbal use of these plants as poultices to dress and heal cuts.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.