pennyroyal

[ pen-ee-roi-uhl ]

noun

1. an aromatic Old World plant, Mentha pulegium, of the mint family, having clusters of small purple flowers and yielding a pungent essential oil used medicinally and as an insect repellent.
2. Also called mock pennyroyal. a similar, related plant, Hedeoma pulegioides, of eastern North America, having bluish flowers growing from the leaf axils.
3. any of several other aromatic plants of the mint family.

pennyroyal

/ ˌpɛnɪˈrɔɪəl /

noun

1. a Eurasian plant, Mentha pulegium, with hairy leaves and small mauve flowers, that yields an aromatic oil used in medicine: family Lamiaceae (labiates)
2. Also calledmock pennyroyal a similar and related plant, Hedeoma pulegioides, of E North America

Word History and Origins

Origin of pennyroyal¹

1520–30; penny + royal; replacing late Middle English puliol real < Anglo-French; Middle French poliol (< Latin *pūlēgiōlum, diminutive of pūlēgium pennyroyal) + real, earlier form of royal

Word History and Origins

Origin of pennyroyal¹

C16: variant of Anglo-Norman puliol real, from Old French pouliol (from Latin pūleium pennyroyal) + real royal

Example Sentences

Pennyroyal Station whips up tried-and-true American comforts, albeit with a surprise that makes them feel somehow new.

From Washington Post

And Kurt was so happy with it that a few months later he asked me to do another video for them for a song called “Pennyroyal Tea.”

From The Daily Beast

I told her to bring me some pennyroyal along from the field next the quarry.

From Project Gutenberg

Aunt Maria told me you were here—she is impatient for her pennyroyal.

From Project Gutenberg

There were no iron-clad rules in this comfortable household, especially when Pennyroyal, the help, was away.

From Project Gutenberg

The school year ended and Pennyroyal, the “hired help,” who had been paying her annual visit to her sister, came back to the farm.

From Project Gutenberg

Pennyroyal baked griddle-sized cakes, delivering them one at a time direct from 115 the stove to the consumer.

From Project Gutenberg