Vervain

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A flowering plant belonging to the verbena family, often noted for its aromatic properties and traditional herbal uses
2. A type of herb recognized for its small, purple flowers and historical significance in medicine and folklore
3. An herbaceous plant associated with various medicinal benefits, commonly found in gardens and natural landscapes

Etymology: Vervain is a plant whose name has barely changed in roughly eight hundred years of travel. It came into Middle English as "verveyne" from Old French "verveine", which in turn descends from the Latin "verbēna", the word for the sacred boughs and herbs that Roman priests gathered and carried in religious ceremonies. The Latin term is the same word that gave English "verbena", so the two are doublets: one entered through French and one was taken directly from Latin, leaving English with two forms of a single word. The Roman association with sacred plants explains why the herb was valued for so long. A plant that had been cut for rituals carried a reputation for power, and that reputation survived long after the religious setting had gone.

Synonyms: herb, plant