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Glite Dictionary
bastard pennyroyal

bastard pennyroyal

9.9
An eastern United States plant with a minty smell that looks like pennyroyal but is a different kind
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : pennyroyal bastardillo
  • Wild bastard pennyroyal grows abundantly in the woodlands of the eastern United States.

Examples

  • The leaves of bastard pennyroyal have a distinct, minty aroma used in herbal remedies.

  • The bastard pennyroyal is often found in wet meadows.

  • Botanists are studying the ecological benefits of bastard pennyroyal in native plant gardens.

  • Have you ever seen a bastard pennyroyal in bloom?

  • The leaves of bastard pennyroyal have a distinct, minty aroma used in herbal remedies.

  • Wild bastard pennyroyal grows abundantly in the woodlands of the eastern United States.

  • Botanists are studying the ecological benefits of bastard pennyroyal in native plant gardens.

Synonyms

American pennyroyal
vsbastard pennyroyal
  • US
9.1

A hairy plant with purple blue flowers that keeps insects away and people sometimes use in folk medicine

emphasizes a botanical difference by belonging to a different genus despite resemblance

Surface Forms

bastard pennyroyal singular
bastard pennyroyals plural

Morphology

bastard + pennyroyal

The noun combines 'bastard' (meaning hybrid/false/impure) with 'pennyroyal' to denote a plant resembling true pennyroyal but belonging to a different genus, so the overall meaning is directly compositional. This follows a common naming pattern for plants (e.g., 'false X' or 'bastard X'), making the sense predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Bastard pennyroyal may come from people noticing that this plant looks like pennyroyal but is not the 'true' pennyroyal. So the name helps you remember it is a minty-smelling plant similar to pennyroyal but a different kind.