fleawort

[ flee-wurt, -wawrt ]

noun

1. a European plantain, Plantago psyllium, having seeds that are used in medicine.

fleawort

/ ˈfliːˌwɜːt /

noun

1. any of various plants of the genus Senecio , esp S. integrifolius , a European species with yellow daisy-like flowers and rosettes of downy leaves: family Asteraceae (composites)
2. a Eurasian plantain, Plantago psyllium (or P. indica ), whose seeds resemble fleas and were formerly used as a flea repellent
3. another name for ploughman's spikenard

Word History and Origins

Origin of fleawort¹

before 1000; Middle English flewort, Old English flēawyrt. See flea, wort ²

Example Sentences

Yet in the marshy interior of the island, with areas left open to water, there has been an explosion of wildlife in only a few years, from the pioneer fleawort plants, reeds and young willow trees, to more surprising arrivals.

From The Guardian

The small seeds of a Plantain grass which grows commonly in Southern Europe, the Fleawort, or Plantago Psyllium, have been known from time immemorial as an easy and popular aperient.

From Project Gutenberg