Dictionary

pennyroyal en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pɛnɪjˈɹojəl/ (British, Multicultural-London-English, Southern, Standard)
• /pɛ̝nɪˈɹɔɪ̯əl/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Apparently an alteration (after penny) of Anglo-Norman puliol royal, from Latin pūlegium.

Meanings

1. Mentha pulegium, a plant of the mint family, formerly much used in various medicinal treatments and as a flea repellent.
   • Dioscorides says that Pennyroyal makes thin, tough phlegm, warms the coldness of any part whereto it is applied, and digests raw or corrupt matter. 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society, published 2007, page 216:
   • I'm on warm milk and laxatives / Cherry-flavored antacids / Sit and drink Pennyroyal tea / Distill the life that's inside of me / Sit and drink Pennyroyal tea / I'm anemic royalty 1993, “Pennyroyal Tea”, in In Utero, performed by Nirvana:
2. (obsolete) A traditional old well-known song, especially a spiritual folksong.
   • However, three or four of the old "pennyroyals" seem to have stood the test of time. 1910 October, The Brown Alumni Monthly, volume 11, page 74:
   • The singing in the schoolhouse was more like that of one of the old-fashioned, large Yankee families gathered round the hearthstone and singing "pennyroyals" Sunday nights. 1890 October 6, Arthur A. Putnam, “Recollections of the Church Choirs of North Danvers”, in Historic Collections of the Danvers Society:
   • The sort of tune […] variously denominated "gospel song", "spiritual song", "pennyroyal", 1905, Methodist Review, volume 87:
   • Offenbach and the old college airs, song and dance tunes and pennyroyals, formed the staples for the introduction of hits on manners and times. 1878 December, “He Playing She”, in The Elocutionist's Journal, number 22, page 4:
   • Asking his subscribers to send him "old pennyroyal tunes" and "popular airs," he received many contributions from unknown personages, such as "a Shermantown friend," a "Mr. A. V. Parker," a "Mr. R. H. Williams" of Westmoreland, and a "Brother Robbins." 1987, Paul Gaarder Kaatrud, Revivalism and the Popular Spiritual Song in Mid-nineteenth Century America: 1830-1870:

Forms

Deriveds

hart's pennyroyal · bastard pennyroyal

Relateds

American pennyroyal · American false pennyroyal · tansy · savin

Synonyms

pennyrile (species) · pudding grass (species) · European pennyroyal (species) · squaw mint (species) · mosquito plant (species)

Translations (31)

el φλησκούνι (Mentha pulegium) · ang hyllwyrt (Mentha pulegium) · tr yarpuz (Mentha pulegium) · tr yaban nanesi (Mentha pulegium) · ar فُوذَنَج (Mentha pulegium) · de Poleiminze (Mentha pulegium) · bg полски джоджен (Mentha pulegium) · ga borógach (Mentha pulegium) · ka ომბალო (Mentha pulegium) · hu csombormenta (Mentha pulegium) · fa پونه (Mentha pulegium) · ca poliol (Mentha pulegium) · pt poejo (Mentha pulegium) · tr filiskin (Mentha pulegium) · gl poexo (Mentha pulegium) · de Flohkraut (Mentha pulegium) · ar فْلِيُّو (Mentha pulegium) · fa رافونه (Mentha pulegium) · de Polei (Mentha pulegium) · eu txortalo (Mentha pulegium) · ru мя́та бло́шница (Mentha pulegium) · grc βλήχων (Mentha pulegium) · ang polleġie (Mentha pulegium) · la glēchon (Mentha pulegium) · ru мя́та боло́тная (Mentha pulegium) · cy brymlys (Mentha pulegium) · ar نَعْنَاع بَرِّي (Mentha pulegium) · fi puolanminttu (Mentha pulegium) · es poleo (Mentha pulegium) · la pūlegium (Mentha pulegium) · et kirbumünt (Mentha pulegium)