old man
1
9.9
- noun
- UK
:
ajenjo
- The chef added old man to the dish to enhance its aromatic qualities.
Examples
-
For centuries, people have cultivated old man to flavor various spirits and liqueurs.
-
Then it seems that you and your brother have a lot to teach this old man.
-
See, some of us wanted to get involved, but the old men wouldn't allow it.
-
The fact that you look like a fucking 40-year-old man.
-
One of the older men in our church, a mechanic, reached out to Joshua and started meeting with him.
-
Still, there's a part of me, you know, that thinks maybe, I'm a silly old man.
-
This evening at 12, an old man sits, folding white napkins into rabbits.
Fiction book (1997) -
In traditional herbal medicine, old man is used to make a bitter tea known for its distinct flavor.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A bitter herb used to make a strong green alcoholic drink
A small plant with bitter, pleasant-smelling leaves used for tea and scent
A bitter herb with a strong smell used to make absinthe and for traditional medicine
A plant with a strong smell and bitter leaves used to make the drink absinthe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'old man' as the name of the herb (Artemisia abrotanum) has no predictable relation to the literal meanings of 'old' (elderly) and 'man' (adult male). A B1 learner who knows the constituents would interpret it as referring to an elderly male, not a plant name, so the botanical sense is lexicalized and not compositionally derivable.
Etymology
Old man for the herb likely comes from the plant's grey, soft leaves that look a bit like an old man's beard. Because people used the plant for strong flavor in drinks and food, the name stuck.