spleenwort

[ spleen-wurt, -wawrt ]

noun

1. any of various temperate and tropical ferns of the genera Asplenium and Diplazium, certain species of which are grown as ornamentals.

spleenwort

/ ˈspliːnˌwɜːt /

noun

1. any of various ferns of the genus Asplenium, esp A. trichomanes, that often grows on walls, having linear or oblong sori on the undersurface of the fronds See also asplenium

Word History and Origins

Origin of spleenwort¹

First recorded in 1570–80; spleen + wort ²

Example Sentences

Plant maidenhair spleenwort in a container, where you can appreciate its beauty up close.

From Seattle Times

These dots account for the other half of ebony spleenwort’s unusual common name, as early herbalists thought its shape resembled the human spleen.

From New York Times

Also, the black maidenhair, a species of spleenwort.

From Project Gutenberg

There is a trail to Big and Little Devil's Staircases where two hundred foot cliffs protect narrow canyons filled with maidenhair fern, spleenwort, cinnamon, wild parsley, ginseng and ginger.

From Project Gutenberg

As a matter of fact, having climbed the path that ran beneath oaks and through patches of brakes, spleenwort, and lady-ferns, she was astonished to hear a faint, plaintive singing, and stopped to listen.

From Project Gutenberg