camomile
/ˈkæ.məˌmaɪl/ noun
Forms camomiles chamomile camomille chamomille
- noun Matricaria chamomilla, German chamomile or Hungarian chamomile, with fragrant flowers used for tea, and as an herbal remedy.
- noun Chamaemelum nobile (formerly Anthemis nobilis), English chamomile or Roman chamomile, a ground cover with fragrant foliage.
- noun Any of several other similar plants. (See below)
Synonyms
German camomile Hungarian camomile Roman camomile English camomile chamomile Chamaemelum nobilis Anthemis nobilis
Etymology
From Middle English camamille, first attested 1265, from Old French camomille, from Late Latin camomilla, from Latin chamaemelon, from Ancient Greek χαμαίμηλον (khamaímēlon, literally “earth-apple”), from χαμαί (khamaí, “on the ground”) + μῆλον (mêlon, “apple”). So called because of the apple-like scent of the plant.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A genus of herbs (Anthemis) of the Composite family. The common camomile, A. nobilis, is used as a popular remedy. Its flowers have a strong and fragrant and a bitter, aromatic taste. They are tonic, febrifugal, and in large doses emetic, and the volatile oil is carminative.
Etymology [LL. camonilla, corrupted fr. Gr. Humble, and Melon.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “camomile”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details