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St. John's wort

Syllabification: (St. John's wort)
(also St. Johns wort)
Definition of St. John's wort

noun

  • a herbaceous plant or shrub with distinctive yellow five-petaled flowers and paired oval leaves, used in medicinal preparations to treat various disorders, including depression.
    • Genus Hypericum, family Guttiferae: many species, in particular H. perforatum

Origin:

so named because some species come into flower near the feast day of St. John the Baptist (June 24)

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Word of the day

synodic

/ sɪˈnɒdɪk /
adjective
relating to or involving the conjunction of celestial objects …