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wormwood
(wɜːʳmwʊd)
uncountable noun
Wormwood is a plant that has a very bitter taste and is used in making medicines and alcoholic drinks.
wormwood in British English
(ˈwɜːmˌwʊd)
noun
1. Also called: absinthe
any of various plants of the chiefly N temperate genus Artemisia, esp A. absinthium, a European plant yielding a bitter extract used in making absinthe: family Asteraceae (composites)
2.
something that embitters, such as a painful experience
Word origin
C15: changed (through influence of worm and wood1) from Old English wormōd, wermōd; related to Old High German werrnuata, German Wermut; see vermouthwormwood in American English
(ˈwɜrmˌwʊd)
noun
1.
any of a number of strong-smelling plants (genus Artemisia) of the composite family, with white or yellow flowers; esp., a Eurasian perennial (A. absinthium) that yields a bitter, dark-green oil (wormwood oil) formerly used in making absinthe
2.
a bitter, unpleasant, or mortifying experience
Word origin
ME wormwode, altered by folk etym. (infl. by worm, worm + wode, wood1: from use as a vermifuge) < wermode < OE wermod, akin to Ger wermut (> Fr vermout, vermouth)Image ofwormwood
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