mallow
UK /ˈmæləʊ/ · US /ˈmæloʊ/ noun, proper noun
Forms mallows
- noun Any of a group of flowering plants in several genera of the taxonomic family Malvaceae, especially of the genus Malva. Several species are edible by humans.
- noun Larentia clavaria, an uncommon moth found across Eurasia.
- proper noun A surname.
- proper noun A town in County Cork, Ireland (Irish grid ref W 5598).
- proper noun A locality in the County of Newell, Alberta, Canada.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States.
Etymology
From Middle English malwe, from Old English mealwe, borrowed from Latin malva. Compare the doublet mauve.
From Irish Meallach.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [OE. malwe, AS. mealwe, fr. L. malva, akin to Gr. mala`chh; cf. mala`ssein to soften, malako`s soft. Named either from its softening or relaxing properties, or from its soft downy leaves. Cf. Mauve, Malachite.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “mallow”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details