spearmint

[ speer-mint ]

noun

1. an aromatic herb, Mentha spicata, having lance-shaped leaves used for flavoring.

spearmint

/ ˈspɪəmɪnt /

noun

1. a purple-flowered mint plant, Mentha spicata, of S and central Europe, cultivated for its leaves, which yield an oil used for flavouring

Word History and Origins

Origin of spearmint¹

First recorded in 1530–40; spear ¹ + mint ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of spearmint¹

C16: so called because of its long narrow leaves

Example Sentences

Mr Wonderful Takes a Cruise and its sequel Mr Wonderful Seeks Immortality detail his trips to, among other places, Bromley, Balham and the nightclub Spearmint Rhino.

From BBC

Menthol is a naturally occurring cyclic monoterpene alcohol found in various plants, particularly in members of the mint family such as peppermint and spearmint.

From Science Daily

In the next few days he discovered additional sources of nourishment: groundnuts, mulberries, wild mustard, wild onions, new kinds of mushrooms, spearmint, peppermint, and milkweed.

From Literature

Reddit user u/meganips raved about adding plain dried spearmint leaves to their cups of tea.

From Salon

As Salas was telling the story of the mano, Matthew Teutimez, a tribal biologist, was taking stock of nearby native vegetation that supported Indigenous populations for centuries: elderberries, mudwort, jimson weed, spearmint, walnut trees, grape vines, and sage.

From Los Angeles Times