meadowsweet

[ med-oh-sweet ]

noun

1. any plant belonging to the genus Spiraea, of the rose family, especially S. latifolia, having white or pink flowers.
2. any plant of the closely related genus Filipendula (or Ulmaria ).

meadowsweet

/ ˈmɛdəʊˌswiːt /

noun

1. a Eurasian rosaceous plant, Filipendula ulmaria, with dense heads of small fragrant cream-coloured flowers See also dropwort
2. any of several North American rosaceous plants of the genus Spiraea, having pyramid-shaped sprays of small flowers

Word History and Origins

Origin of meadowsweet¹

First recorded in 1520–30; meadow + sweet

Example Sentences

Michelin-starred chef Adam Handling has been using foraged meadowsweet, which he uses to replace vanilla, since he opened his restaurant The Frog in east London in 2016.

From BBC

Resilience holds a special place in the Wygod family as the colt’s mare was Meadowsweet, whose mare was Tranquility Lake.

From Los Angeles Times

A jury had found Lail, of Meadowsweet Way, Stotfold, Bedfordshire, and Jones, of Edgbaston House, Sedgley Close, Southsea, guilty of conspiracy to murder between 27 December 2021 and 14 January last year.

From BBC

No matter that I’m allergic to almost everything: resiny hemlocks, sweet clover, vanilla-scented bedstraw and almondy meadowsweet.

From Washington Post

“The menu is designed to be sustainable and zero-waste, but it’s also supposed to be fun. We’re using amazing ingredients, like meadowsweet and pineapple weed,” he said.

From Washington Post