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Glite Dictionary
common wormwood

common wormwood

9.2
A plant with a strong smell and bitter leaves used to make the drink absinthe
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑːmən ˈwɜːrmwʊd/
translation icon : ajenjo
  • Many liqueurs, including absinthe, are made from common wormwood.

Examples

  • The leaves of common wormwood have a distinctly bitter flavor.

  • Gardeners often grow common wormwood as an ornamental plant and for its aromatic qualities.

  • Common wormwood has been cultivated for centuries for its medicinal properties and its role in making absinthe.

  • The common wormwood is known for its bitter flavor.

  • The bitter taste of common wormwood is essential in the production of absinthe.

  • Many liqueurs, such as absinthe, derive their unique flavor from common wormwood.

  • The use of common wormwood in cocktails is gaining popularity among mixologists.

Synonyms

wormwood
vscommon wormwood
  • Specialized
5 8.9

A bitter plant with a strong smell used to make medicine and flavor drinks

is the single species chiefly used to make the liqueur
absinthe
vscommon wormwood
1 9.9

A bitter herb used to make a strong green alcoholic drink

is the botanical description naming the plant itself rather than the drink
Artemisia absinthium
vscommon wormwood
  • Specialized
9.9

A bitter herb with a strong smell used to make absinthe and for traditional medicine

is the common name rather than the botanical term

Surface Forms

common wormwood singular
common wormwoods plural

Morphology

common + wormwood

The phrase combines the adjective 'common' (meaning widespread/usual) with the noun 'wormwood' (an aromatic plant), so the meaning — a type or species of wormwood that is common — is directly derivable from its parts. This straightforward modifier+noun composition is cross-linguistically regular and should be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Common wormwood may get its name from an old healing idea: people used wormwood, a name made from worm and wood, to drive out 'worms' from the body. That's why the name refers to a bitter, aromatic herb now used to make absinthe.