moschatel

[ mos-kuh-tel, mos-kuh-tel ]

noun

1. a small plant, Adoxa moschatellina, having greenish or yellowish flowers with a musky odor.

moschatel

/ ˌmɒskəˈtɛl /

noun

1. a small N temperate plant, Adoxa moschatellina, with greenish-white musk-scented flowers on top of the stem, arranged as four pointing sideways at right angles to each other and one facing upwards: family Adoxaceae Also calledtownhall clockfive-faced bishop

Word History and Origins

Origin of moschatel¹

1725–35; < French moscatelle < Italian moscatella, equivalent to moscat ( o ) musk + -ella -elle; -h- from botanical name

Word History and Origins

Origin of moschatel¹

C18: via French from Italian moscatella, diminutive of moscato musk

Example Sentences

He knows his botany, so when describing the hidden entrance to the holloway he is able to list the guardian plants with great exactness: between the snaking tree roots he spots "the umbrals: hart's tongue fern, shining cranesbill, ivy, and moschatel, the lover of shade".

From The Guardian

Moschatel, mos′ka-tel, n. a plant with pale-green flowers and a musky smell.

From Project Gutenberg