cohosh
/kəˈhɒʃ/ noun
Forms cohoshes
- noun A perennial American herb (Caulophyllum thalictroides), the rough rootstock of which is used in medicine.
- noun A smooth herb, Actaea racemosa, marketed for medicinal use.
Synonyms
blue cohosh squaw root papoose root Cimicifuga racemosa black cohosh black bugbane black snakeroot fairy candle baneberry herb Christopher
Etymology
From an Algonquian word meaning rough, probably from Eastern Abenaki / Penobscot *kkwὰhas. Compare Massachusett kushki (“(it is) rough”). Compare English cocash.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cohosh”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details