either of two unrelated plants, Chelidonium majus (greater celandine) or Ranunculus ficaria (lesser celandine)
greater celandine, lesser celandine
Word origin
C13: earlier celydon, from Latin chelīdonia (the plant), from chelīdonius of the swallow, from Greek khelidōn swallow; the plant's season was believed to parallel the migration of swallows
celandine in American English
(ˈsɛlənˌdaɪn; ˈsɛlənˌdin; ˈsɛləndɪn)
noun
1.
a weedy plant (Chelidonium majus) of the poppy family, with deeply divided leaves and yellow flowers and juice
2.
a perennial plant (Ranunculus ficaria) of the buttercup family, with yellow flowers
Word origin
ME & OFr celidoine < ML celidonia < L chelidonia < Gr chelidonion, swallowwort < chelidōn, a swallow < IE echoic base *ghel- > yell