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Glite Dictionary
tetterwort

tetterwort

9.9
A woodland plant with a red root and a single white early-spring flower used in traditional remedies
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛtərˌwɔrt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : sanguinaria
  • The tetterwort blooms early in the spring before the forest canopy thickens.

Examples

  • Some herbalists use the root of tetterwort in traditional remedies.

  • Red sap exudes from the cut root of tetterwort.

  • Look at that beautiful tetterwort over there!

  • The tetterwort blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • The root of tetterwort is known for its stimulating properties.

  • Many herbalists appreciate tetterwort for its expectorant effects.

  • In spring, the white flowers of tetterwort are a stunning sight in the woods.

Synonyms

bloodroot
vstetterwort
  • US
1 9.9

A North American plant that has red root sap, a single white spring flower, and is used in traditional medicine

states the same characteristics but without emphasizing cultural medicinal practice
redroot
vstetterwort
  • US
1 9.9

A forest plant with a red root and small white flower used as medicine

focuses on the plant's medicinal properties without naming the herbal tradition
Sanguinaria canadensis
vstetterwort
  • Specialized
9.9

A woodland plant with a red root, a single lobed leaf, and a white spring flower

is the everyday descriptive name used in ordinary speech

Surface Forms

tetterwort singular
tetterworts plural

Morphology

tetterwort = tetter + wort (opaque) = tetter + wort

Although the word is historically a compound of 'tetter' and 'wort', the plant name is not meaningfully predictable for most learners because it depends on an archaic disease term and an old plant-name element.

Etymology

Tetterwort comes from tetter meaning 'a skin disease' and wort meaning 'plant' or 'herb', the same wort you see in St. John's wort. So a tetterwort is literally a plant once used for skin problems, which helps explain why herbalists used its red root and sap in traditional remedies.