cow parsnip

noun

any of several tall, coarse plants of the genus Heracleum, of the parsley family, as H. sphondylium or H. lanatum, having large, flat clusters of white flowers.

Origin of cow parsnip

First recorded in 1540–50

Words nearby cow parsnip

cow gum, cow horse, cow killer, cow lily, cow parsley, cow parsnip, cow pie, cow pillow, cow pilot, cow pony, cow shark

Example sentences from the Web for cow parsnip

  • You made up your mind he was a lily of the valley and it was no good his being a cow-parsnip.

    Sons and Lovers |David Herbert Lawrence

  • You made up your mind he was a lily of the valley, and it was no good his being a cow-parsnip.

    Sons and Lovers |David Herbert Lawrence

  • It feeds, in the autumn, on flowers and seeds of angelica and cow-parsnip, but the former is its chief food.

    The Moths of the British Isles, Second Series |Richard South

British Dictionary definitions for cow parsnip

cow parsnip

noun

any tall coarse umbelliferous plant of the genus Heracleum, such as H. sphondylium of Europe and Asia, having thick stems and flattened clusters of white or purple flowers Also called: hogweed, keck