sneezewort

9.9

A Eurasian plant with white button flowers and long grey-green leaves that can make you sneeze when powdered

noun
/ˈsniːzˌwɜrt/

: mil hojas

Crushed sneezewort leaves were once believed to induce sneezing and clear the sinuses.

Examples

The botanist collected samples of sneezewort along the riverbank.
The sneezewort blooms in late summer.
My grandmother grew sneezewort in her garden for its medicinal uses.
Many people are allergic to sneezewort pollen.
Crushed sneezewort leaves were once believed to induce sneezing and clear the sinuses.
In the past, herbalists recommended sneezewort for its ability to alleviate nasal congestion.
The unique properties of sneezewort make it a curious addition to traditional herbal remedies.

Synonyms

Achillea ptarmica

vssneezewort

Specialized

9.9

A herb with small white button flowers and grey-green leaves that can cause sneezing when powdered

is the common name used instead of the botanical label

sneezeweed yarrow

vssneezewort

9.9

A herb from Europe and Asia with small white flowers and green leaves that can make you sneeze when powdered

is the single-word traditional common name rather than the compound form

Surface Forms

sneezewort singular

sneezeworts plural

Morphology

sneezewort = sneeze + wort (semi-transparent) = sneeze + wort

'sneeze' clearly contributes to the sense, but 'wort' is an archaic/rare element meaning 'plant' that many learners may not know, so the compound is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The word sneezewort comes from the parts sneeze and wort, where wort is an Old English word for 'plant'. People once crushed its leaves to make you sneeze and clear the nose, so the name literally means 'sneeze plant'.