Asarabaccas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Low-growing European wild ginger plant with glossy aromatic leaves and small brownish flowers, once used in herbal medicine
2. A perennial woodland herb of Europe whose fragrant leaves and dull purplish blooms were historically prized as a medicinal plant
3. Aromatic European plant of the birthwort-related ginger family, known for its kidney-shaped leaves and earthy, pungent scent

Etymology: The word "asarabaccas" is simply the plural of "asarabacca", the name of European wild ginger, a low-growing plant with glossy, kidney-shaped leaves and small brownish flowers. The singular "asarabacca" is a compound of two Latin words: "asarum", the name for this plant, and "baccar", a term for a related aromatic plant. Joined together they give a name that records the plant's use as a fragrant herb, and English took the word over more or less intact.

Synonyms: wild nard, hazelwort