madwort

mad·wort

M0022400 (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.

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[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).]

madwort

(ˈmædˌwɜːt) n1. (Plants) a low-growing Eurasian boraginaceous plant, Asperugo procumbens, with small blue flowers2. (Plants) any of certain other plants, such as alyssum[C16: once alleged to be a cure for madness]

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]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

madwort - any garden plant of the genus Alyssum having clusters of small yellow or white flowersalyssumcrucifer, cruciferous plant - any of various plants of the family Cruciferaegenus Alyssum, Alyssum - a genus of the family Cruciferae