hound's-tongue

[ houndz-tuhng ]
/ ˈhaʊndzˌtʌŋ /

noun

any of various plants belonging to the genus Cynoglossum, of the borage family, especially C. officinale, having coarse, tongue-shaped leaves, dull purple flowers, and prickly nutlets.

Origin of hound's-tongue

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hundestunge, translation of Latin cynoglōssos < Greek kynóglōssos, kynóglōsson (adj.) literally, dog-tongued

Words nearby hound's-tongue

houma, hoummos, hound, hound dog, hound's tooth, hound's-tongue, hound's-tooth, hound's-tooth check, houndfish, hounding, houngan

British Dictionary definitions for hound's-tongue

hound's-tongue

noun

any boraginaceous weedy plant of the genus Cynoglossum, esp the Eurasian C. officinale, which has small reddish-purple flowers and spiny fruits Also called: dog's-tongue

Word Origin for hound's-tongue

Old English hundestunge, translation of Latin cynoglōssos, from Greek kunoglōssos, from kuōn dog + glōssa tongue; referring to the shape of its leaves