dittany

[ dit-n-ee ]

noun

, plural dit·ta·nies.

1. a Cretan plant, Origanum dictamnus, of the mint family, having spikes of purple flowers and formerly believed to have medicinal qualities.
2. Also called stone mint. a North American plant, Cunila origanoides, of the mint family, bearing clusters of purplish flowers.
3. gas plant.

dittany

/ ˈdɪtənɪ /

noun

1. an aromatic Cretan plant, Origanum dictamnus , with pink drooping flowers: formerly credited with great medicinal properties: family Lamiaceae (labiates)
2. Also calledstone mint a North American labiate plant, Cunila origanoides, with clusters of purplish flowers
3. another name for gas plant

Word History and Origins

Origin of dittany¹

1350–1400; Middle English ditane, detany < Old French dita ( i ) n < Latin dictamnus, dictamnum < Greek díktamnon, perhaps akin to Díktē, a mountain in Crete where the herb abounded

Word History and Origins

Origin of dittany¹

C14: from Old French ditan, from Latin dictamnus, from Greek diktamnon, perhaps from Diktē, mountain in Crete

Example Sentences

“You need the hospital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that...Come...”

From Literature

They were wincing as they dabbed essence of dittany onto their many injuries.

From Literature

She was supposed to drink dittany tea sweetened with molasses, but it tasted too horrible.

From Literature

The sacred plants of the goddess were, the willow, pomegranate, the dittany and the lily.

From Project Gutenberg

But she sipped it as she would have done the decoction of some bitter herb, and frankly confessed that she did not like it as well as the forest substitutes, namely, sassafras, dittany, and spicewood.

From Project Gutenberg