tarragon
UK /ˈtæɹəɡən/ · US /ˈtæɹəɡɑn/ noun
Forms tarragons
- noun A perennial herb, the wormwood species Artemisia dracunculus, from Europe and parts of Asia.
- noun The leaves of this plant (either fresh, or preserved in a vinegar/oil mixture) used as a seasoning.
Synonyms
estragon dragon's wort French tarragon Russian tarragon silky wormwood wild tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French targon (cf. modern estragon), from Medieval Latin tragonia, from Arabic طَرْخُون (ṭarḵūn), ultimately from Ancient Greek δρακόντιον (drakóntion, “dragonwort, Dracunculus vulgaris”), from δράκων (drákōn, “dragon, serpent”). Doublet of estragon.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [Sp. taragona, Ar. tarkh; perhaps fr. Gr. draco; cf. L. dracunculus tarragon. Cf. Dragon.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “tarragon”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details