stinking horehound

Thân thiện

A gardener pulls up a stinking horehound plant from the herb bed.

Definition

Noun: 1. A strongly aromatic, ill-smelling European herb: A perennial plant (Marrubium vulgare) known for its distinctive, often unpleasant odor, wrinkled (rugose) leaves, and clusters of small, dark purple flowers arranged in whorls around the stem. It is traditionally used in herbal medicine.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The herbalist gathered stinking horehound to make a traditional remedy for coughs.
  • A patch of stinking horehound grew by the old stone wall, its pungent scent filling the air.
  • Botanists study stinking horehound for its unique medicinal properties.

Advanced Usage

• As a modifier: The term can be used attributively to describe related concepts.
  • The stinking horehound extract was bitter but effective.

Variants and Related Words

• Common horehound (): The standard name for the same plant, often used without the descriptor "stinking."
• White horehound: Another common name, referring to the whitish, woolly appearance of the stems and leaves.
• Horehound (noun): The shortened, more common form of the name.

Synonyms

• Common horehound
• White horehound
• Marrubium vulgare (scientific name)

Notes on Meaning

• The descriptor "stinking" specifically highlights the plant's powerful and generally considered unpleasant aroma, which distinguishes it from other, less pungent herbs. Its primary meaning is as the name of this specific botanical species.

Học thuật

Noun

1. ill-smelling European herb with rugose leaves and whorls of dark purple flowers

Từ đồng nghĩa

• black horehound
• black archangel
• fetid horehound
• Ballota nigra