boys-and-girls
Definition
Noun: 1. A specific plant species: The term "boys-and-girls" is a common name for a particular flowering plant, Mercurialis annua, which is an annual herb. It is native to Europe and Africa but has become naturalized as a weed in the Americas. Historically, parts of this plant were dried and used in traditional medicine.
Usage Notes
- "Boys-and-girls" is used almost exclusively as a common name for the plant . It is a compound noun treated as a singular entity.
- This term is highly specific to botany and historical medicine. It is not used in general conversation and has no other common meanings in modern English.
Examples
- Noun:
- The field was overrun with boys-and-girls, a weed introduced from Europe.
- Historically, boys-and-girls was prepared as a dried herb for medicinal purposes.
Advanced Usage
- The name "boys-and-girls" likely originates from the plant's dioecious nature, meaning individual plants are either male (producing pollen) or female (producing seeds). This characteristic of separate "male" and "female" plants may have inspired the common name.
Variants and Related Words
- Botanical Name:
- Other Common Names: Annual mercury, mercury herb.
- Mercurialis (n): The genus to which this plant belongs.
Synonyms
- Annual mercury
- Mercury herb
Notes on Different Meanings
- The term "boys-and-girls" has no other standard definitions in modern English. It is not used to refer to children collectively (for which the phrase "boys and girls" is used) and is not an idiom. It is a fixed compound noun for a specific plant.
Noun
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Eurafrican annual naturalized in America as a weed; formerly dried for use as a purgative, diuretic or antisyphilitic
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