Butterburs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Large-leaved plants of the genus Petasites that grow in damp ground and have broad leaves and early flower heads
2. Coarse perennial herbs with huge leaves, found along riverbanks and wet meadows across Europe and Asia
3. Several members of the daisy family known for enormous leaves and clustered pale flowers that appear before the foliage

Etymology: Butterburs is simply the plural of butterbur, the name of a broad-leaved marsh plant of the genus Petasites. The plant's name comes from its leaves, which were once used to wrap butter. The leaves are large and sturdy, and their wrapping function gave the plant its first half, "butter," while "bur" is a separate word for the plant, which often grows in damp ground and is related to the burdock family. Put together, the compound describes a plant whose leaves served as a practical wrapper in the dairy.