wormwood

worm·wood  (wûrmwd)

n.

1. Any of several aromatic plants of the genus Artemisia, especially A. absinthium, native to Europe, yielding a bitter extract used in making absinthe and in flavoring certain wines.

2. Something harsh or embittering.

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[Middle English wormwode, alteration (influenced by worm, worm, and wode, wood, perhaps from the use of its leaves as a vermifuge) of wermod, from Old English wermd, from Germanic *wermdaz.]

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wormwood

Noun

a plant from which a bitter oil formerly used in making absinthe is obtained [Old English wormōd, wermōd]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

wormwood - any of several low composite herbs of the genera Artemisia or Seriphidium aster family, Asteraceae, Compositae, family Asteraceae, family Compositae - plants with heads composed of many florets: aster; daisy; dandelion; goldenrod; marigold; lettuces; ragweed; sunflower; thistle; zinnia mugwort - any of several weedy composite plants of the genus Artemisia Artemisia abrotanum, southernwood - shrubby European wormwood naturalized in North America; sometimes used in brewing beer absinthe, Artemisia absinthium, common wormwood, lad's love, old man - aromatic herb of temperate Eurasia and North Africa having a bitter taste used in making the liqueur absinthe Artemisia annua, sweet wormwood - wormwood of southeastern Europe to Iran Artemisia campestris, field wormwood - European wormwood similar to common wormwood in its properties Artemisia frigida, prairie sagewort, wormwood sage - silky-leaved aromatic perennial of dry northern parts of the northern hemisphere; has tawny florets Artemis pontica, Roman wormwood - European wormwood; minor source of absinthe Artemisia stelleriana, beach wormwood, old woman, dusty miller - herb with greyish leaves found along the east coast of North America; used as an ornamental plant Artemisia maritima, sea wormwood, Seriphidium maritimum - plants of western and northern European coasts subshrub, suffrutex - low-growing woody shrub or perennial with woody base