Tetterwort

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A plant used medicinally to treat skin diseases characterized by itching and inflammation; a common name for lichens or herbs believed to soothe conditions like eczema and ringworm; any traditional remedy derived from certain plants for treating chronic skin irritations
2. A botanical remedy famed for alleviating skin ailments involving rash and itching; a vernacular term for natural plants or lichens applied in curing dermatological conditions; herbal extracts traditionally used to calm persistent skin disorders characterized by discomfort and lesions
3. Refers to plants historically employed to remedy itchy, scaly skin conditions; denotes certain herbs or lichens believed effective against infectious skin eruptions; any natural product used in folk medicine to soothe chronic dermatological irritations

Etymology: "Tetterwort" is a plain compound: "tetter," an old English word for a skin eruption or rash, joined to "wort," the Old English word for a plant or herb. The name therefore reads literally as "rash-plant," a herb once thought useful against skin complaints. "Tetter" itself comes from Old English "teter," and it belongs to a family of words for scaly or itchy skin conditions, which is why the plant name is so direct. "Wort" survives in many older plant names, such as "St John's wort" and "mugwort," and it reflects a time when most medicinal plants were identified by what they were believed to treat.

Synonyms: celandine, celandine poppy, celandine flower