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common valerian

common valerian

7.2
A tall plant with strong-smelling flowers whose roots are used to help people sleep
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑːmən vəˈlɪəriən/
translation icon : valeriana común
  • Many herbalists suggest using common valerian as a natural sleep aid.

Examples

  • He bought dried common valerian roots to prepare a calming tea.

  • The garden was full of common valerian, attracting butterflies with its fragrant blooms.

  • The common valerian is known for its calming effects.

  • Many herbalists recommend common valerian for sleep issues.

  • He bought dried common valerian roots to prepare a calming tea.

  • Many herbalists suggest using common valerian as a natural sleep aid.

  • The garden was full of common valerian, attracting butterflies with its fragrant blooms.

Synonyms

valerian
vscommon valerian
32 8.2

A plant with small white or pink flowers and roots used as medicine

is the specific species rather than the broader genus
Valeriana officinalis
vscommon valerian
  • Specialized
9.1

A tall plant that lives for many years with fragrant flowers and roots used to help people sleep

is the everyday name rather than the scientific form
garden heliotrope
vscommon valerian
9.0

A tall plant with sweet-smelling pink or white flowers and roots used in medicine

is focused on the underground rhizomes rather than the generic root

Surface Forms

Morphology

common + valerian

The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: 'common' (widespread/typical) modifies 'valerian' (the plant), so the meaning — a commonly occurring valerian plant — is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically regular and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Common valerian comes from an old Latin word valere that means 'to be strong'. People used the plant's roots as a medicine to calm the body and help sleep, so the name points to its healing use today.