feverfew

English

Etymology

From Middle English feverfu, feverfeu, feverfugie, modified by folk etymology from either Old French fevrefue or Old English feferfuge, both from Latin febrifugia, from febris (“fever”) + fugō (“I drive away”). Doublet of febrifuge.

Noun

feverfew (countable and uncountable, plural feverfews)

  1. A European aromatic perennial herb, Tanacetum parthenium (or Chrysanthemum parthenium or Pyrethrum parthenium), having daisy-like flowers; valued as a traditional medicine, especially for headaches.

Synonyms

Translations

References
  • Michael Quinion (2004) “Feverfew”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.
  • "Feverfew" in Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.