wormwood 
wormwood
Definition
worm·wood (-wo̵od′)
noun
- any of a number of strong-smelling plants (genus Artemisia) of the composite family, with white or yellow flowers; esp., a Eurasian perennial (A. absinthium) that yields a bitter, dark-green oil (wormwood oil) formerly used in making absinthe
- a bitter, unpleasant, or mortifying experience
Etymology: ME wormwode, altered by folk etym. (infl. by worm, worm + wode, wood: from use as a vermifuge) < wermode < OE wermod, akin to Ger wermut (> Fr vermout, vermouth)
wormwood
Usage Examples
Converse of object
- become: One-third of the waters become wormwood ( or poisoned, or radioactive ).
- contain: Absinthe reputedly has hallucinogenic properties it contains wormwood, a neurotoxin.
Modifies a noun
- plant: Artemisinin is produced by a wormwood plant that naturally grows in Southeast Asian mangrove swamps.
Noun used with modifier
- sea: The shingle bank formed from the erosion of Arm Hill is home to sea wormwood, another rare plant.
wormwood Quotes
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
And Isaid,My strengthand my hope isperished fromthe L: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
Browse dictionary entries near wormwood
- ‹ wormseed
- ‹ Worms
- ‹ wormroot
- ‹ wormlike
- ‹ wormhole
- ‹ worm wheel
- ‹ worm snake
- ‹ worm's-eye view
- ‹ worm out of
- ‹ worm lizard
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