Definition

Noun: 1. A fragrant herb: A perennial plant (Galium odoratum, formerly Asperula odorata) native to Europe and Asia, known for its small white flowers, narrow dark green leaves, and sweet, hay-like scent. 2. A flavoring agent: The fragrant leaves of this plant, used dried to flavor drinks (notably May wine), desserts, and jellies, or used in sachets for their pleasant aroma.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Plant):
  • The forest floor was carpeted with waldmeister.
  • We planted waldmeister as a fragrant ground cover in the shady part of the garden.
• Noun (Flavoring):
  • The traditional recipe for Maibowle calls for a sprig of fresh waldmeister.
  • She added dried waldmeister to the punch to give it a unique, aromatic flavor.

Advanced Usage

• "Waldmeister flavor": A specific, sweet, coumarin-based flavor profile reminiscent of fresh hay or vanilla, often used in German confectionery, ice cream, and syrups.
  • The gelato shop offered a popular waldmeister flavor that tasted like spring.

Variants and Related Words

• Sweet woodruff: The common English name for the same plant ().
• Galium odoratum: The modern botanical Latin name.
• Asperula odorata: A former botanical Latin name, still used in some classifications.

Synonyms

• Sweet woodruff
• Woodruff
• Master of the woods (direct translation)

Notes on Meaning

This word is a direct borrowing from German (Wald = forest, Meister = master). Its primary meaning is botanical and culinary. It is not commonly used in general English outside of contexts related to European (particularly German) cuisine, gardening, or botany. In everyday English, "sweet woodruff" is the more frequent term.

Noun

1. fragrant dark green leaves used to flavor May wine
2. Old World fragrant stoloniferous perennial having small white flowers and narrow leaves used as flavoring and in sachets; widely cultivated as a ground cover; in some classifications placed in genus Asperula