fleawort

9.9

A Mediterranean plant whose seeds swell in water and help you go to the toilet

noun
/ˈfliːˌwɔrt/

Archaic

: psilio

The seeds of fleawort are used in herbal medicine for their mild laxative effect.

Examples

You can find fleawort growing naturally in dry Mediterranean soils.
She added ground fleawort seeds to her drink as a natural remedy.
The fleawort plant thrives in Mediterranean climates.
Many herbalists recommend fleaworts for their laxative properties.
The seeds of fleawort are often used as a gentle laxative in traditional herbal remedies.
She made a tea with fleawort seeds to help with her digestive issues.
In Mediterranean regions, people use fleawort seeds for their natural laxative effects.

Synonyms

psyllium

vsfleawort

1 9.9

A plant seed fiber that swells with water and helps relieve constipation

focuses on seed swelling but does not mention gel formation

Plantago psyllium

vsfleawort

Specialized

8.8

A Mediterranean plant whose small seeds swell when wet and help with constipation

includes the genus name in parentheses in the description

Spanish psyllium

vsfleawort

8.3

A plant from the Mediterranean whose seeds swell in water and ease constipation

uses the same meaning but phrases moisture differently

Surface Forms

fleawort singular

fleaworts plural

Morphology

fleawort = flea + wort (opaque) = flea + wort

Although the form shows 'flea' + 'wort', 'wort' is an archaic word for 'plant' and the sense does not relate to fleas, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning from the parts.

Etymology

Fleawort comes from old parts flea and wort, with wort meaning 'plant' and flea either meaning the small insect or the tiny seeds people thought looked like fleas. Because people used this plant as a traditional medicine, the name came to mean the Mediterranean plantain whose seeds swell when wet and are used as a mild laxative.