Moderwort

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A bitter perennial herb of the mint family, traditionally used in folk medicine to calm the nerves and ease the heart
2. Leonurus cardiaca, a tall plant with spiked pink flowers that was long prized in herbal remedies for soothing anxiety
3. An old name for a strong-smelling mint-family herb whose leaves were steeped in medicinal teas for nervous complaints

Etymology: Motherwort is a strong-smelling herb in the mint family, and its Latin name, "cardiaca," refers to the heart, not the mother. Herbalists prescribed it for heart complaints, while the English name points elsewhere. "Moderwort" is an older spelling of "motherwort," and it comes from Old English "moddor," meaning mother, plus "wyrt," meaning plant or herb. The "mother" in the name refers to the womb. Early herbal writers recommended the plant for a range of women's complaints, and the name reflects that use. German has the same idea in "Mutterkraut." The English name was in use by the Middle English period, though the exact earliest attestation is uncertain to me. Its shape is typical of plant names formed by combining a noun with "wort," a common element in older English herb names.