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Glite Dictionary
fetid horehound

fetid horehound

9.9
A small herb with wrinkled leaves, dark purple flowers and a strong unpleasant smell
  • noun
translation icon : horehound fétido
  • Some gardeners avoid planting fetid horehound due to its unpleasant smell.

Examples

  • You can identify fetid horehound by its strong smell.

  • The aroma of fetid horehound filled the air as we walked through the meadow.

  • Researchers studied the medicinal properties of fetid horehound despite its odor.

  • The garden was overrun with fetid horehound.

  • Some gardeners avoid planting fetid horehound due to its unpleasant smell.

  • You can identify fetid horehound by its strong smell.

  • The aroma of fetid horehound filled the air as we walked through the meadow.

Synonyms

Ballota nigra
vsfetid horehound
  • Specialized
9.9

A European herb with wrinkled leaves and dark purple flowers that smells unpleasant and is called black horehound

is the general description of the plant rather than the Latin name
stinking horehound
vsfetid horehound
  • UK
9.9

A European herb with wrinkled leaves that smells very bad

focuses on the same plant but stresses an unpleasant smell
black horehound
vsfetid horehound
  • UK
9.9

A European herb with wrinkled leaves and dark purple flowers that smell bad

is the same plant but given in a straightforward common description
black archangel
vsfetid horehound
  • UK
9.9

A plant with wrinkled leaves and dark purple flowers that has a strong unpleasant smell

describes the herb specifically as unpleasant smelling rather than just strong scent

How Smelly

skunk cabbage
  • US
1 8.9
fetid horehound
9.9
horehound
1 9.9

Surface Forms

fetid horehound singular
fetid horehounds plural

Morphology

fetid + horehound

This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'fetid' (having a strong, disgusting odor) modifies 'horehound' (a specific herb), yielding the literal meaning 'a smelly horehound herb'. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Fetid horehound gets its name from two simple words: fetid means 'very smelly' and horehound was an old name for a bitter herb people used for medicine. So the name points to a horehound with a strong, unpleasant smell.