masterwort

[ mas-ter-wurt, -wawrt, mah-ster- ]

noun

1. a European plant, Astrantia major, of the parsley family, having pinkish-rose or white flower clusters with purplish bracts beneath.

Word History and Origins

Origin of masterwort¹

First recorded in 1540–50; master + wort ²

Example Sentences

Dr. Turner mentions the case of some Frenchmen at Antwerp, who, eating the shoots of this plant for masterwort, all died, with the exception of two, in forty-eight hours.

From Project Gutenberg

There's wormwood, woodsorrel, masterwort, zedoary, and angelica; and lastly, there is a little bottle of the sovereign preservative against the plague, as prepared by the great Lord Bacon, and approved by Queen Elizabeth.

From Project Gutenberg