wort en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /wɔːt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /wɜːt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /woɹt/ (General-American)
- /wɝt/ (General-American)
Etymology
PIE word *wréh₂ds From Middle English wort, wurt, wyrte (“any herb or plant; herb or plant used as food or medicine; (specifically) cabbage or vegetable of the genus Brassica; (chiefly plural) dish of cooked vegetables”) [and other forms], from Old English wyrt (“a plant; vegetable; herb, spice”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *wurti (“a root; a spice”), from Proto-Germanic *wrōts (“a root”), from Proto-Indo-European *wréh₂ds (“a root”). Doublet of root and related to orchard. Cognates * Old Dutch wort (“herb; plant”) (Middle Dutch wort (“herb; root”)) * Old High German wurz (“herb; root; spice”) (Middle High German wurz, modern German Wurz) * Old Norse jurt, urt (“herb”) (Icelandic jurt, Norwegian urt, Old Danish urt (modern Danish urt), Old Swedish yrt (“plant”) (modern Swedish ört)) * Old Saxon wurt (“herb; plant; root”) (Middle Low German wort, wurt)
Meanings
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(archaic, historical) Now chiefly as the second element in the names of plants: a plant used for food or medicine.
[T]he people of his citye, […] shulde be norysshed with barly brede and cakes of whete, and that the residue of their diete shulde be salte, olyues, chese, and likes, and more ouer wortes that the feldes do brynge furthe, for their potage.
1531, Thomas Elyot, “Of Sobrietie in Diete”, in Ernest Rhys, editor, The Boke Named the Governour […] (Everyman’s Library), London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent & Co; New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton & Co, published [1907], →OCLC, 3rd book, page 264:Two saints are credited with giving St. John's wort its name. One was St. John of Jerusalem, who used the wort (plant) during the crusades to heal his knights' battlefield wounds, and the other was John the Baptist.
1999 November, Victoria Zak, “A Modern Herbal Tea Garden”, in 20,000 Secrets of Tea: The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature’s Healing Herbs, New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing, →ISBN, page 209:It is an excellent pleaſure to be able to take pleaſure in vvorts and vvater, in bread and onions; […]
1653, Jer[emy] Taylor, “[XXV Sermons Preached at Golden Grove: Being for the Winter Half-year, […].] Sermon XVI. The House of Feasting: Or The Epicures Measures. Part II.”, in ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1655, →OCLC, page 204:[H]e [a poor person] drinks vvater, and liue's of vvort leaues, pulſe, like a hog, or ſcraps like a dog, […]
1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Pouerty and Want Causes of Melancholy”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 2, member 4, subsection 6, page 207:
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(historical, specifically) Chiefly in the plural: a plant of the genus Brassica used as a vegetable; a brassica; especially, a cabbage (Brassica oleracea).
VVhy (ſay they in ſcorne and contempt of povertie) here is the ſtem of a vvoort ſo vvell grovvne, here is a cabbage ſo thriven and fed, that a poore mans boord vvill not hold it.
1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XIX.] The Manner of Trimming and Ordering Gardens: The Sorting of All Those Things that Grow out of the Earth, into Their Due Places, besides Corne and Plants Bearing Fruit.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 11:I am poore / And may expect a vvorſe; yet digging, pruning, / Mending of broken vvayes, carrying of vvater, / Planting of VVorts, and Onyons, any thing / That's honeſt, and a mans, Ile rather chooſe, […]
1610–1614, John Fletcher, “The Tragedie of Valentinian”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, page 14, column 2:Though ne'er ſo mean the Viands be, / They vvell content my Prevv and me. / Or Pea, or Bean, or VVort, or Beet, / VVhat ever comes, content makes ſvveet: […]
1648, Robert Herrick, “His Content in the Country”, in Hesperides: Or, The Works both Humane & Divine […], London: […] John Williams, and Francis Eglesfield, and are to be sold by Tho[mas] Hunt, […], →OCLC, page 233:
- (broadly) A non-vascular plant growing on land from the division Anthocerotophyta (the hornworts) or Marchantiophyta (liverworts); an anthocerotophyte or marchantiophyte.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| worts | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
hillwort · spiderwort · swallow-wort * · bearwort · umbelwort · flukewort · liverwort · heathwort · beachwort · sawwort · bullwort · rattlewort · sparrowwort · clown's ringwort · mallowwort · scorpionwort · pondwort · pipewort · beerwort · fumewort · sleepwort · staithwort · peterwort · nipplewort · sulfurwort · kelpwort · pennywort * · lousewort · bishop's-wort · umbrellawort · pepperwort · felonwort · mitrewort · flaxwort · burstwort · John's wort · laserwort · wortlike · springwort · nettlewort · hollowwort · toywort · woundwort * · danewort · ironwort * · southernwort · gentianwort · vomitwort · fieldwort · earwort * · bugwort · sandwort · mowdiewort · hammerwort · chickenwort · yellowwort (Blackstonia perfoliata · birthwort (Aristolochia, · pilewort · saltwort · purplewort · fishwort · St. John's wort · madderwort · barrenwort · sweetwort · latherwort · bloodwort · awlwort · starwort * · catwort · motherwort · willowwort · nailwort · lichwort · St. James' wort · modiwort · coughwort · pearlwort · rupturewort · bairnwort · starchwort · catswort · fanwort · flapwort · thoroughwort · lustwort · St. Peter's wort · saw-wort · boragewort · moudiwort · crystalwort · colewort · bruisewort · peachwort · ribwort · kidneywort · coralwort · squinancywort · blushwort · meadwort · dropwort * · sulphurwort · hazelwort · bridewort · masterwort · damewort · sicklewort · pillwort · madwort · mugwort · brownwort · figwort · stinkwort · goutwort · wort-cunning · dungwort · moorwort · feverwort · whitewort · trophywort · meadowwort · hipwort · spurgewort · glasswort · adderwort · hempwort · thrumwort · sneezewort · wort cunning · wortcraft · wartwort · bellwort · palsywort · milkwort * · lazarwort · scabwort · hartwort · gypsywort · pewterwort · hornwort · dragonwort · maywort · mudwort · standerwort · mulewort · worts · felwort · adder's wort · hoodwort · knotwort · staggerwort · lilywort · cancerwort · waterwort · butterwort · stonewort · wortyard · holewort · soapwort · wallwort · bogwort · ghostwort · spoonwort · torchwort · worty · gutwort · asterwort · spurwort · beewort · leadwort · maudlinwort · sharewort · spleenwort · treaclewort · lungwort * · clovewort · staverwort · hog's wort · tentwort · wortcunning · elderwort · spearwort · throatwort · marshwort · gipsywort · slipperwort · towerwort · hogwort · milt-wort · moonwort · stitchwort · miterwort · galewort · honewort · bladderwort · cankerwort · strapwort · poppywort · scurvywort · feltwort · sticklewort · brotherwort · quinsywort · blawort · youthwort · fleawort · navelwort * · frostwort · moudiewort · brimstonewort · ragwort · setterwort · talewort · bitterwort · toothwort · wortlore · tetterwort · crosswort · stabwort · honeywort · quillwort · moneywort · banewort · garlicwort · rosewort · dragon's wort · sagewort
Synonyms
Translations (11)
sh би̑љка (plant used for food or medicine) · fi yrtti (plant used for food or medicine) · fi ruoho (plant used for food or medicine) · ja 草 (plant used for food or medicine) · mk расте́ние (plant used for food or medicine) · sv ört (plant used for food or medicine) · nl kruid (plant used for food or medicine) · cy llys (plant used for food or medicine) · mk би́лка (plant used for food or medicine) · sh bȋljka (plant used for food or medicine) · is jurt (plant used for food or medicine)