Bugloss

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A flowering plant from the Boraginaceae family, recognized for its sturdy stems and hairy foliage, is noted for its vibrant blue or purple blooms
2. This herbaceous plant is distinguished by its presence in diverse habitats, featuring unique hairy leaves and colorful flowers
3. A type of perennial herb belonging to the Boraginaceae family, known for its coarse, hairy leaves and striking blue to purple flowers

Etymology: The name of this plant is a literal description of its leaves: in ancient Greek, "bouglōsson" combined "boûs", meaning "ox", with "glôssa", meaning "tongue". The plant was named for the broad, rough, tongue-like shape of its leaves, which the Greeks compared to an ox's tongue. The Greek name was then taken into Latin as "buglossa" and "buglossus", and from Latin it passed into Old French as "buglosse". The English word came through French, so it kept a Latin-Greek skeleton beneath an everyday image. Anyone who has handled the hairy leaves of this herb can see the comparison: the same texture that struck the Greeks gives the plant its name. The word has changed very little in form across its journey, which is why an ox's tongue survives in English gardens almost two thousand years after the Greeks first named the plant.