dong quai

[ doong chwahy ]

noun

1. an aromatic herb, Angelica sinensis, of the parsley family, native to China and Japan, used to treat menopausal symptoms, premenstrual syndrome, and menstrual irregularity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dong quai¹

First recorded in 1975–80; from a southern Chinese dialect, equivalent to Mandarin dāng guī “ought to return” (from the folk belief that the herb makes the blood return where it ought to)