madwort
Also found in: Thesaurus, Wikipedia.
mad·wort
(măd′wûrt′, -wôrt′)n.
1. A low-growing plant (Asperugo procumbens) with small blue flowers, native to Eurasia and naturalized in North America.
2. See alyssum.
[Sense 1, perhaps alteration (influenced by madder) of Dutch mede, madder + wort (from the use of A. procumbens to make a dye ). Sense 2, originally a name for various plants supposed to cure rabies, and later also for plants of the genus Alyssum : mad, rabid + wort (partial translation of Latin alyssum, from Greek alusson; see alyssum).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
madwort
(ˈmædˌwɜːt)n
1. (Plants) a low-growing Eurasian boraginaceous plant, Asperugo procumbens, with small blue flowers
2. (Plants) any of certain other plants, such as alyssum
[C16: once alleged to be a cure for madness]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mad•wort
(ˈmædˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt)n.
a mat-forming plant, Aurinia saxatilis (or Alyssum saxatille), of the mustard family, having broadly rounded leaves and open clusters of pale yellow flowers.
[1590–1600]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  madwort - any garden plant of the genus Alyssum having clusters of small yellow or white flowerscrucifer, cruciferous plant - any of various plants of the family Cruciferae genus Alyssum, Alyssum - a genus of the family Cruciferae |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.