hound's-tongue

[ houndz-tuhng ]

noun

1. any of various plants belonging to the genus Cynoglossum, of the borage family, especially C. officinale, having coarse, tongue-shaped leaves, dull purple flowers, and prickly nutlets.

hound's-tongue

noun

1. any boraginaceous weedy plant of the genus Cynoglossum, esp the Eurasian C. officinale, which has small reddish-purple flowers and spiny fruits Also calleddog's-tongue

Word History and Origins

Origin of hound's-tongue¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hundestunge, translation of Latin cynoglōssos < Greek kynóglōssos, kynóglōsson (adj.) literally, dog-tongued

Word History and Origins

Origin of hound's-tongue¹

Old English hundestunge, translation of Latin cynoglōssos, from Greek kunoglōssos, from kuōn dog + glōssa tongue; referring to the shape of its leaves

Example Sentences

Toothed medick has never officially been recorded in Wales, and hound's-tongue is on the UK's red list and has only been recorded 18 times in Denbighshire in the last 116 years.

From BBC

Among the first plants to respond to the quickening influence of the early winter rains, is the hound's-tongue, whose large, pointed leaves begin to push their way aboveground usually in January.

From Project Gutenberg

The object of this extensile head is seen when one finds the larvae feeding upon the fruits or the seed-pods of its various food plants—hawthorn, hop, hound's-tongue, and St. John's-wort.

From Project Gutenberg

The old man mumbled and muttered, fussing about among the boxes until he found a full suit of silver-gray, silken stockings, and hound's-tongue shoes to match.

From Project Gutenberg

The water-carrier brings with her a leaf of the hound's-tongue fern, and, inserting it in the crevice of the gray rock, makes a cool, green spout for the sparkling stream.

From Project Gutenberg