woadwaxen

[ wohd-wak-suhn ]

noun

1. an ornamental Eurasian shrub, Genista tinctoria, whose flowers yield a yellow dye formerly used with woad to make a permanent green dye.

woadwaxen

/ ˈwəʊdˌwæksən /

noun

1. See dyer's-greenweed
   another name for dyer's-greenweed

Word History and Origins

Origin of woadwaxen¹

1325–75; Middle English wodewaxen, equivalent to wode wood ¹ + waxen grown (past participle of waxen to wax ² ); replacing Middle English wodewax, Old English wuduweax