tarragon
Americannoun
-
an Old World plant, Artemisia dracunculus, having aromatic leaves used for seasoning.
-
the leaves themselves.
noun
-
an aromatic perennial plant, Artemisia dracunculus, of the Old World, having whitish flowers and small toothed leaves, which are used as seasoning: family Asteraceae (composites)
-
the leaves of this plant
Etymology
Origin of tarragon
1530–40; earlier taragon < Middle French targon, variant of tarc ( h ) on < Medieval Latin < Medieval Greek tarchṓn < Arabic ṭarkhūn < Greek drákōn literally, dragon; compare Latin dracunculus tarragon
Vocabulary lists containing tarragon
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I get some tarragon mustard made by Edmond Fallot and a bag of Martelli pasta.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025
Add fennel, shallot, a touch of honey, bright lemon and a blend of tarragon and fennel fronds, and it becomes the perfect Greek-Italian mash-up to welcome spring.
From Salon ● Apr. 12, 2025
To be fair, tarragon is often oddly hard to find in grocery stores near me.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2025
Try a tarragon syrup in lemonade, some muddled tarragon in cocktails or the slight anise flavor in homemade iced tea.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2025
Her mother cooked the chicken’s body with tarragon leaves that had traveled in a plastic bag all the way from St. Louis.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.