Definition

Noun: * A plant species: A coarse, prickly, perennial herb of the genus Eryngium (Eryngo), native to the United States. Historically, it was believed to have medicinal properties effective against rattlesnake venom.

Usage

• The term is used specifically to refer to this particular plant species, often in botanical, historical, or regional contexts.
• It functions as a common name for the plant, similar to how "oak" or "daisy" are used.

Examples

• Botanists identified the spiky blue flowers as belonging to rattlesnake's master.
• Early settlers sometimes carried a poultice made from rattlesnake's master as a folk remedy.
• The field guide listed rattlesnake's master as a native perennial found in dry, sandy soils.

Advanced Usage

• The name itself is an example of folk etymology or descriptive naming, directly linking the plant's purported historical use ("master" of the rattlesnake's venom) to its identity.
• It is sometimes used metaphorically or in literature to symbolize rustic medicine, folklore, or the American frontier.

Variants and Related Words

• Rattlesnake master: A common variant spelling without the apostrophe-s.
• Button snakeroot: Another common name for the same or similar species.
• Eryngo: The general common name for plants in the genus .
• Eryngium yuccifolium: The specific botanical (Latin) name for the plant most commonly called rattlesnake's master.

Synonyms

• Button eryngo
• Yucca-leaved eryngo

Notes on Meaning

• The "master" in the name does not refer to ownership but to the idea of being a cure or an antidote—something that can overcome or "master" the snake's venom.
• Modern science does not support the efficacy of this plant as an antivenom. The term is primarily historical and botanical.

Noun

1. coarse prickly perennial eryngo of United States thought to cure rattlesnake bite