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