Adjacent Words

Pellitory definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PEL'LITORY, n. [L. parietaria, the wall plant, from paries.]
The name of several plants of different genera. The pellitory of the wall or common pellitory is of the genus Parietaria; the bastard pellitory of the genus Achillea; and the pellitory of Spain is the Anthemis pyrethrum.
PELL'-MELL, adv. With confused violence.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: herb that grows in crevices having long narrow leaves and small pink apetalous flowers [syn: pellitory-of-the-wall, wall pellitory, pellitory, Parietaria difussa]
2: a small Mediterranean plant containing a volatile oil once used to relieve toothache [syn: pellitory, pellitory-of- Spain, Anacyclus pyrethrum]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -ries) Etymology: Middle English peletre, pelytory, from Anglo-French peletre, peretre, from Medieval Latin peletrum, piretrum, alteration of Latin pyrethrum — more at pyrethrum Date: 1528 1. a southern European composite plant (Anacyclus pyrethrum) resembling yarrow — called also pellitory-of-Spain 2. any of a genus (Parietaria) of herbs of the nettle family with alternate leaves and inconspicuous flowers — called also pellitory-of-the-wall

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. any of several wild plants, esp.: 1 (in full pellitory of Spain) a composite plant, Anacyclus pyrethrum, with a pungent-flavoured root, used as a local irritant etc. 2 (in full pellitory of the wall) a low bushy plant, Parietaria judaica, with greenish flowers growing on or at the foot of walls. Etymology: (sense 1) alt. f. ME f. OF peletre, peretre f. L pyrethrum f. Gk purethron feverfew: (sense 2) ult. f. OF paritaire f. LL parietaria f. L paries -etis wall

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pellitory Pel"li*to*ry, n. [OE. paritorie, OF. paritoire, F. pari['e]taire; (cf. It. & Sp. parietaria), L. parietaria the parietary, or pellitory, the wall plant, fr. parietarus belonging to the walls, fr. paries, parietis a wall. Cf. Parietary.] (Bot.) The common name of the several species of the genus Parietaria, low, harmless weeds of the Nettle family; -- also called wall pellitory, and lichwort. Note: Parietaria officinalis is common on old walls in Europe; P. pennsylvanica is found in the United States; and six or seven more species are found near the Mediterranean, or in the Orient.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pellitory Pel"li*to*ry, n. [Sp. pelitre, fr. L. pyrethrum. See Bertram.] (Bot.) (a) A composite plant (Anacyclus Pyrethrum) of the Mediterranean region, having finely divided leaves and whitish flowers. The root is the officinal pellitory, and is used as an irritant and sialogogue. Called also bertram, and pellitory of Spain. (b) The feverfew (Chrysanthemum Parthenium); -- so called because it resembles the above.