Dictionary

devil's nettle en · NOUN

Etymology

Compound of devil + -'s + nettle, perhaps for a stinging effect of the leaves, and/or for an association with the Devil or witches (see quotations below).

Meanings

1. Achillea millefolium or common yarrow, a flowering plant native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
   • Not to be confused with devil’s nettle, i.e. yarrow, Achillea millefolium L., allegedly considered the Devil’s favorite plant by witches in some places in Europe. 2007, Waruno Mahdi, Malay Words and Malay Things, page 114:
   • In some parts of England the general name for Ferns is Devil’s Brushes, while in Cheshire, where the children draw the Yarrow across their faces and experience a tingling sensation in consequence, that plant is called the Devil’s Nettle. 1884, Hilderic Friend, Flowers and Flower Lore, volume 1, page 67:
2. Dendrocnide sinuata (synonym: Laportea crenulata), a species of nettle in the family Urticaceae found in Australia and South Asia.
   • But be careful what you are about, for overhead is the terrible Laportea crenulata, or devil’s nettle; the petioles of the leaves are hispid with poisonous hairs, the sting of which, once felt, will not be forgotten by you in a hurry; 1888, C.D.E. Black, “Review of Malabar by William Logan”, in The Academy, volume 33, page 253:

Forms