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comfrey

American

[kuhm-free] / ˈkʌm fri /

noun

plural

comfreys

any coarse Eurasian plant belonging to the genus Symphytum, of the borage family, as the widely cultivated S. officinale, having hairy, lance-shaped leaves and drooping clusters of small, white, rose-colored, or purplish flowers.

comfrey British

/ ˈkʌmfrɪ /

noun

any hairy Eurasian boraginaceous plant of the genus Symphytum, having blue, purplish-pink, or white flowers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of comfrey

1275–1325; Middle English cumfirie, conferye < Anglo-French cumfirie, Old French confire < Medieval Latin *confervia for Latin conferva conferva

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pick four or five fresh comfrey leaves and place them in a blender.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

In addition, liquid comfrey has other growth promoting factors produced by bacteria that are not present in commercial fertilizers.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

Added directly to the compost bin, comfrey activates microbes and fires up decomposition.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2022

Fresh comfrey leaves are high in nitrogen and break down very quickly.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2022

Still, I wondered whether skin grafts could have achieved what Mother had with her comfrey and lobelia salve.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023