tormentil
[ tawr-men-til ]
/ ˈtɔr mɛn tɪl /
noun
a low European plant, Potentilla erecta, of the rose family, having small, bright-yellow flowers, and a strongly astringent root used in medicine and in tanning and dyeing.
Origin of tormentil
1350–1400; Middle English
tormentille < Medieval Latin
tormentilla, equivalent to Latin
torment(um)
torment +
-illa diminutive suffix
Words nearby tormentil
toric lens,
tories,
torii,
torino,
torment,
tormentil,
tormentor,
tormé,
torn,
torn between, be,
tornado
Example sentences from the Web for tormentil
British Dictionary definitions for tormentil
tormentil
/ (ˈtɔːməntɪl) /
noun
a rosaceous downy perennial plant, Potentilla erecta, of Europe and W Asia, having serrated leaves, four-petalled yellow flowers, and an astringent root used in medicine, tanning, and dyeing
Also called: bloodroot
Word Origin for tormentil
C15: from Old French
tormentille, from Medieval Latin
tormentilla, from Latin
tormentum agony; referring to its use in relieving pain; see
torment