ramsons

9.9

A wild plant with broad green leaves and a strong garlic smell that grows in damp woods

noun
/ˈræm.sənz/

: ajo silvestre

The woods were carpeted with ramsons in spring, their pungent scent filling the air.

Examples

You can identify ramsons by their broad, green leaves and strong garlicky aroma.
I found some ramsons in the forest yesterday.
She gathered some fresh ramsons to use in her salad.
Look, there are ramsons!
The woods were carpeted with ramsons in spring, their pungent scent filling the air.
You can identify ramsons by their broad, green leaves and strong garlicky aroma.
She gathered some fresh ramsons to use in her salad.

Synonyms

wild garlic

vsramsons

1 3.0

A strong-smelling plant with broad leaves that grows in woods and people use in cooking

describes it botanically by habitat and characteristic smell

Allium ursinum

vsramsons

Specialized

8.8

A wild plant with broad leaves that smell strongly of garlic

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific term

wood garlic

vsramsons

7.2

A wild plant with broad leaves that smell like garlic and grows in damp woods

is the general common name not stressing damp woodland habitat

stag's garlic

vsramsons

9.9

A wild plant with broad leaves and white flowers whose leaves smell like garlic and are edible

describes it by habitat and broad leaves rather than flowers

Surface Forms

ramsons plural

ramson singular

Etymology

Ramsons comes from the old English word hramsa, meaning 'garlic', so the name simply tells you it is a wild kind of garlic. People also called it 'bear's garlic' because bears ate the plant in spring, which helps explain why ramsons are a garlicky plant found in damp woods.