a Eurasian plant, Mentha pulegium, with hairy leaves and small mauve flowers, that yields an aromatic oil used in medicine: family Lamiaceae (labiates)
2. Also called: mock pennyroyal
a similar and related plant, Hedeoma pulegioides, of E North America
Word origin
C16: variant of Anglo-Norman puliol real, from Old French pouliol (from Latin pūleium pennyroyal) + realroyal
pennyroyal in American English
(ˈpɛniˌrɔɪəl; ˌ pɛniˈrɔɪəl)
noun
1.
a strongly scented, perennial European mint (Mentha pulegium) with bluish-lavender flowers
2.
a similar North American mint (Hedeoma pulegioides) that yields an aromatic oil
Word origin
altered < earlier pulyol ryal < Anglo-Fr puliol real < OFr poliol, pouliol (< L puleium: infl. by assoc. with pulegium, fleabane < ?) + real, royal
Examples of 'pennyroyal' in a sentence
pennyroyal
She needed horehound and pennyroyal and thyme for young Jane Butcher who was near her time.