Felwort

/ˈfɛlwɜːrt/ noun

Definition

A flowering plant, also called swallowwort or gentianel, with bell-shaped yellow or pink flowers and slender stems.

Etymology

From Old English 'fel' or 'fell' (possibly meaning harsh or sharp) combined with 'wort' (meaning plant or herb). The name may refer to the plant's growing conditions or appearance on harsh fellside terrain.

Kelly Says

Plant names that reference 'wort' (like mugwort, lungwort, figwort) often preserve ancient herbalist knowledge—they typically named plants based on what disease or condition they treated, though we've often forgotten those original medicinal connections.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.