Bullwort

/ˈbʊlˌwɜrt/ noun

Definition

A plant of the mustard or cabbage family, possibly with coarse or sturdy characteristics; an archaic or dialectal plant name.

Etymology

Compound of 'bull' (strong, coarse) + 'wort' (Old English wyrt, plant). Traditional suffix for plant names, with 'bull' indicating a large or coarse variety.

Kelly Says

Old herbals often used 'bull' to name the larger, coarser versions of plants—bullwort was supposedly good for cattle digestion, which is why it got the bovine namesake!

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