Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Artemisia absinthium

Artemisia absinthium

9.9
A bitter herb with a strong smell used to make absinthe and for traditional medicine
  • noun
  • /ˌɑːrtəˈmɪziə æbˈsɪnθiəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Artemisia absinthium
  • You can still find Artemisia absinthium growing wild in parts of southern France.

Examples

  • The famed liqueur absinthe is traditionally made from Artemisia absinthium among other ingredients.

  • Botanists studied the medicinal properties of Artemisia absinthium in traditional European remedies.

  • The herb Artemisia absinthium is known for its bitter taste.

  • Have you ever tried Artemisia absinthium in cocktails?

  • The herbal liqueur absinthe is made from the leaves of Artemisia absinthium, which gives it a distinct bitter flavor.

  • Artemisia absinthium is often used in traditional herbal medicine for its therapeutic properties.

  • Many people enjoy the unique taste of Artemisia absinthium in cocktails such as the classic absinthe drip.

Synonyms

wormwood
vsArtemisia absinthium
  • Specialized
5 8.9

A bitter plant with a strong smell used to make medicine and flavor drinks

is one specific species rather than a group of related plants
absinthe
vsArtemisia absinthium
1 9.9

A bitter herb used to make a strong green alcoholic drink

is the same plant also used in herbal medicine and described botanically
common wormwood
vsArtemisia absinthium
9.2

A plant with a strong smell and bitter leaves used to make the drink absinthe

is the botanical perennial native to Eurasia and North Africa used medicinally

Surface Forms

Artemisia absinthium singular
Artemisia absinthiums plural

Morphology

Artemisia + absinthium

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species). A learner who recognises 'Artemisia' as a plant genus can infer the phrase names a particular kind of Artemisia (i.e. it denotes a plant), but they cannot derive the specific properties (a bitter perennial used for absinthe) from the parts because 'absinthium' is not a transparent English word. The taxonomic naming pattern is cross-linguistically regular, giving partial predictability (category) but not the full, specific meaning.

Etymology

The plant name Artemisia absinthium probably comes from two old words: Artemisia, named after the Greek goddess Artemis, and absinthium, from a word meaning 'bitter'. The plant is very bitter and was used to make the drink 'absinthe', so the name points to its strong taste.