Stitchwort

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A flowering plant belonging to the pink family, recognized for its small white blooms and typically found in temperate regions
2. A herbaceous plant often characterized by star-like flowers, commonly observed in grassy and woodland areas across Europe
3. A member of the Caryophyllaceae family, noted for its delicate flowers and sometimes used in traditional medicine and as ground cover

Etymology: Stitchwort is a compound of "stitch" and "wort," and the name records a medical belief. "Wort" is the old English word for a plant or herb, and it appears in many plant names such as St John's wort and ragwort. "Stitch" here refers to the sharp, cramping pain in the side, the kind a runner feels mid-stride. People once thought the plant could cure that pain, so they gave it a name that advertised the remedy. The plant's flowers are small and white with deeply notched petals, which make them look star-shaped, and the name has nothing to do with sewing. The stitch in question was the pain, not the needlework, so a plant with an unrelated appearance ended up carrying a folk-medicine claim in its name.