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Glite Dictionary
Salvia sclarea

Salvia sclarea

8.6
A fragrant herb with purple flowers that people grow for cooking and garden decoration
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : salvia sclarea
  • Salvia sclarea is prized for both its beautiful blooms and its aromatic foliage in gardens.

Examples

  • Some herbalists recommend using Salvia sclarea leaves in cooking for their subtle flavor.

  • The essential oil from Salvia sclarea is popular in aromatherapy and natural skincare products.

  • I planted Salvia sclarea in my garden.

  • The Salvia sclarea blooms beautifully in the summer.

  • Salvia sclarea is often used as a potherb in Mediterranean cuisine due to its aromatic leaves.

  • Gardeners love to cultivate Salvia sclarea for its fragrant foliage and vibrant purple flowers.

  • Known for its medicinal properties, Salvia sclarea is commonly found in herbal remedies and teas.

Synonyms

clary
vsSalvia sclarea
5 9.9

A fragrant herb used in cooking and grown for its pretty flowers

is the broader southern European species grown for fragrant leaves and purple flowers
clary sage
vsSalvia sclarea
8.1

A plant with a strong, pleasant smell used to make oil for perfume and flavor

focuses more on fragrant leaves, purple flowers, and use as a potherb and ornamental
Salvia clarea
vsSalvia sclarea
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant with white, pink or violet flowers grown for its fragrant oil used in perfume and flavouring

refers more to the aromatic species valued for its leaves and ornamental flowers

Surface Forms

Salvia sclarea singular
Salvia sclareas plural

Morphology

salvia + sclarea

The string follows a Latin binomial pattern where 'Salvia' clearly identifies the genus (a sage/salvia), so a learner who knows 'salvia' can infer this refers to a type of salvia plant. However, 'sclarea' is not an English lexical item and provides no transparent semantic contribution, and most B1 learners will not know taxonomic naming, so the full meaning is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Salvia sclarea may come from a simple image: people long ago used the plant's sticky seeds to make a liquid to wash sore or cloudy eyes, so it was called 'clear-eye' or 'clary'. That's why the plant's name links to its old use as a healing, fragrant herb still used for its scent and in cooking today.