gentian
[ jen-shuh n ]
/ ˈdʒɛn ʃən /
noun
any of several plants of the genera Gentiana, Gentianella, and Gentianopsis, having usually blue, or sometimes yellow, white, or red, flowers, as the fringed gentian of North America, or Gentiana lutea, of Europe.
Compare gentian family.
any of various plants resembling the gentian.
the root of G. lutea, or a preparation of it, used as a tonic.
Origin of gentian
1350–1400; Middle English
gencian < Latin
gentiāna; said to be named after
Gentius, an Illyrian king
Words nearby gentian
gent,
gent.,
gentamicin,
genteel,
genteelism,
gentian,
gentian blue,
gentian family,
gentian violet,
gentianaceous,
gentianella
Example sentences from the Web for gentian
British Dictionary definitions for gentian
gentian
/ (ˈdʒɛnʃən) /
noun
any gentianaceous plant of the genera Gentiana or Gentianella, having blue, yellow, white, or red showy flowers
the bitter-tasting dried rhizome and roots of Gentiana lutea (European or yellow gentian), which can be used as a tonic
any of several similar plants, such as the horse gentian
Word Origin for gentian
C14: from Latin
gentiāna; perhaps named after
Gentius, a second-century
bc Illyrian king, reputedly the first to use it medicinally