Saint John's wort

British

noun

1. any of numerous shrubs or herbaceous plants of the temperate genus Hypericum, such as H. perforatum, having yellow flowers and glandular leaves: family Hypericaceae
2. a preparation of this plant often used to treat mild depression See also rose of Sharon tutsan

"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 Saint John's wort

C15: so named because it was traditionally gathered on Saint John's Eve (June 23) as a protection against evil spirits

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.

Instead of plants listed on the labels – such as ginseng, Ginkgo, Saint John's wort and valerian – various products, depending on the retailer, contained cheap fillers.

From US News • Aug. 7, 2015

Botanicals/Herbals: Echinacea, Saint John's wort and Ginkgo biloba are among the many botanical or plant-based supplements.

From US News • Aug. 7, 2015

Saint John’s wort is very common, and has been successfully applied as a fomentation in topical inflammations.

From Handbook to the new Gold-fields by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)

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