Camomiles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Several aromatic daisy-like herbs whose dried flower heads are brewed into a soothing tea or used in traditional remedies
2. Plants of the daisy family with fragrant flowers, the blossoms of which are often steeped to make a calming infusion
3. Fragrant low-growing herbs with small white and yellow blooms, prized for their flowers used in teas and herbal medicine

Etymology: The most striking thing about this word is how literally its Greek ancestor describes the plant: "khamaímēlon" joins "khamaí", meaning "on the ground", and "mêlon", meaning "apple", so it means "earth-apple". The name refers to the plant's apple-like scent, which is strongest when its low, creeping stems are crushed underfoot. The word reached English through a long chain of borrowings. Greek "khamaímēlon" passed into Latin as "chamaemelon", then into Late Latin as "camomilla", and from there into Old French as "camomille". English took it up in Middle English as "camamille", and it is recorded from 1265. "Camomiles" is simply the plural of "camomile", used for the plants themselves or for the dried flowers used to make tea.

Synonyms: chamomile, camomile tea