Myrrhis odorata
- noun
- Specialized
:
myrrhis odorata
- Gardeners often plant Myrrhis odorata for its sweetly scented leaves and delicate white flowers.
Examples
-
The leaves of Myrrhis odorata can be used to flavor desserts and liqueurs.
-
A patch of Myrrhis odorata thrived in the shaded corner of the herb garden.
-
I found some Myrrhis odorata in the garden.
-
The leaves of Myrrhis odorata are quite fragrant.
-
A patch of Myrrhis odorata thrived in the shaded corner of the herb garden.
-
Gardeners often plant Myrrhis odorata for its sweetly scented leaves and delicate white flowers.
-
The leaves of Myrrhis odorata can be used to flavor desserts and liqueurs.
Synonyms
A European garden herb with fern-like leaves, white flowers and a sweet aniseed taste
A plant with sweet-smelling leaves used in cooking and herbal medicine
A herb with sweet-smelling leaves used to flavor food
Surface Forms
Morphology
Myrrhis + odorata
This is a Latin binomial: 'Myrrhis' is a genus name for an herb and 'odorata' is a Latin adjective from 'odor' meaning 'scented' or 'fragrant', so a learner who knows both constituents could infer 'a scented Myrrhis' (i.e. a fragrant herb). However, as a scientific/proper name the exact referent ('sweet cicely') and the botanical usage require extra lexical/botanical knowledge, so the meaning is only partially predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Myrrhis odorata gets its name from old Latin words: Myrrhis ('myrrh') and odorata ('scented') because its leaves have a sweet, strong smell. Gardeners and cooks used the fragrant leaves to flavor desserts and drinks, so the name helps you remember it is a sweet-smelling, edible herb.
