wormwood

[ wurm-wood ]

noun

1. any composite herb or low shrub of the genus Artemisia.
2. a bitter, aromatic plant, A. absinthium, of the Old World, used as a vermifuge and a tonic, and as an ingredient in absinthe.
3. something bitter, grievous, or extremely unpleasant.

wormwood

/ ˈwɜːmˌwʊd /

noun

1. Also calledabsinthe any of various plants of the chiefly N temperate genus Artemisia, esp A. absinthium, a European plant yielding a bitter extract used in making absinthe: family Asteraceae (composites)
2. something that embitters, such as a painful experience

Word History and Origins

Origin of wormwood¹

1350–1400; late Middle English wormwode ( worm, wood ¹ ); replacing Middle English wermode, Old English wermōd; cognate with German Wermut; vermouth

Word History and Origins

Origin of wormwood¹

C15: changed (through influence of worm and wood ¹) from Old English wormōd, wermōd; related to Old High German werrnuata, German Wermut; see vermouth

Example Sentences

Basil, mint, thyme, geraniums, marigolds, wormwood and citronella all add a little flair to your garden while also repelling pests such as wasps.

From Seattle Times

It's named for the chief ingredient that makes it unique: artemisia absinthium, which you might know as wormwood.

From Salon

After adding dry vermouth and wormwood bitters, Muir shakes and strains the drink and garnishes it with a fir sprig.

From Washington Post

The cleanse involved taking herbal supplements that consisted of cloves, black walnut and wormwood — the dosage of which was literally fistfuls of gelatin capsules each day.

From Washington Post

Mugwort and wormwood, herbs also recommended in several posts, contain a compound called thujone that can cause “very difficult-to-treat refractory seizures,” he said.

From Seattle Times