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Glite Dictionary
birthwort

birthwort

9.9
A plant that grows along the ground with curved, tube-like flowers once used to help women give birth
  • noun
  • /ˈbɜrθˌwɔrt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hierba de parto
  • The birthwort plant has unique tubular flowers.

Examples

  • Birthwort flowers are known for their unusual, curved shape.

  • We found a patch of birthwort growing along the woodland path.

  • The herbalist recommended birthwort for its supposed medicinal properties.

  • Did you see the birthworts growing near the river?

  • Birthwort plants have distinctive, tubular flowers that can be found in many gardens.

  • Traditional herbalists often use birthwort in remedies for various ailments.

  • The creeping nature of birthwort makes it an interesting addition to shade gardens.

Synonyms

Aristolochia
vsbirthwort
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A group of flowering plants with curved, pipe-shaped flowers often called Dutchman's pipe

is a specific common name for creeping species within that genus
Virginia serpentaria
vsbirthwort
  • US
9.9

A plant that grows in eastern United States woods with thin, curved roots once used in herbal medicine

is the general common name for creeping Aristolochia plants with tubular flowers
Virginia serpentary
vsbirthwort
  • US
9.9

A woodland plant with pipe-shaped flowers that grows in the eastern United States

is the common name for creeping Aristolochia plants once thought to aid childbirth
Aristolochia clematitis
vsbirthwort
  • Specialized
9.9

A creeping plant with curved yellow-green flowers

is the same genus but refers to plants in different regions

Compounds

birthwort family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of flowering plants with pipe-shaped flowers, like wild ginger

Surface Forms

birthwort singular
birthworts plural

Morphology

birthwort = birth + wort (semi-transparent) = birth + wort

Combines 'birth' and the plant-name suffix '-wort' (a plant associated with childbirth), but '-wort' is archaic/unfamiliar to many learners so the compound may not be obvious.

Etymology

Birthwort is made of birth and wort, where wort is an old English word for 'plant' and appears in names like St John's wort. People once used this plant to 'help with childbirth', which is why the name birthwort points to that old use.