sweet woodruff

noun

See under woodruff.

Origin of sweet woodruff

First recorded in 1790–1800

Words nearby sweet woodruff

sweet vernal grass, sweet viburnum, sweet violet, sweet william, sweet william catchfly, sweet woodruff, sweet wormwood, sweet-and-sour, sweet-scented, sweet-shop, sweet-talk

Definition for sweet woodruff (2 of 2)

woodruff
[ woo d-ruh f, -ruhf ]
/ ˈwʊd rəf, -ˌrʌf /

noun

any of several plants belonging to the genus Asperula or Galium, of the madder family, as G. odoratum (sweet woodruff), a fragrant plant with small white flowers.

Origin of woodruff

before 1000; Middle English woderove, Old English wudurofe, wudurife, equivalent to wudu wood1 + -rofe, -rife, element of uncertain meaning; compare German Rübe carrot

British Dictionary definitions for sweet woodruff (1 of 2)

sweet woodruff

noun

a Eurasian and North African rubiaceous plant, Galium odoratum (or Asperula odorata), having whorls of leaves and clusters of fragrant white flowers

British Dictionary definitions for sweet woodruff (2 of 2)

woodruff
/ (ˈwʊdrʌf) /

noun

any of several rubiaceous plants of the genus Galium, esp G. odoratum (sweet woodruff), of Eurasia, which has small sweet-scented white flowers and whorls of narrow fragrant leaves used to flavour wine and liqueurs and in perfumery

Word Origin for woodruff

Old English wudurofe, from wood 1 + rōfe, related to Old High German ruoba, Middle Low German rōve (beet)root, Latin rēpere to creep