wintergreen
[ win-ter-green ]
/ ˈwɪn tərˌgrin /
noun
Also called checkerberry.
a small, creeping, evergreen shrub, Gaultheria procumbens, of the heath family, common in eastern North America, having white, nodding, bell-shaped flowers, a bright-red, berrylike fruit, and aromatic leaves that yield a volatile oil.
the oil of this shrub; wintergreen oil; methyl salicylate.
the flavor of oil of wintergreen or something flavored with it.
any of various other plants of the same genus.
any of various small evergreen herbs of the genera Pyrola and Chimaphila.
Origin of wintergreen
1540–50; translation of Dutch
wintergroen or German
Wintergrün
Words nearby wintergreen
winter-hardy,
winterberry,
winterbourne,
wintercress,
winterfeed,
wintergreen,
wintergreen barberry,
wintergreen oil,
winterize,
winterkill,
winterly
Example sentences from the Web for wintergreen
British Dictionary definitions for wintergreen
wintergreen
/ (ˈwɪntəˌɡriːn) /
noun
Also called: boxberry, checkerberry, teaberry, spiceberry, partridgeberry
any of several evergreen ericaceous shrubs of the genus Gaultheria, esp G. procumbens, of E North America, which has white bell-shaped flowers and edible red berries
oil of wintergreen
an aromatic compound, formerly made from this and various other plants but now synthesized: used medicinally and for flavouring
any of various plants of the genus Pyrola, such as P. minor (common wintergreen), of temperate and arctic regions, having rounded leaves and small pink globose flowers: family Pyrolaceae
Usual US name: shinleaf
any of several plants of the genera Orthilia and Moneses: family Pyrolaceae
chickweed wintergreen
a primulaceous plant, Trientalis europaea, of N Europe and N Asia, having white flowers and leaves arranged in a whorl
Word Origin for wintergreen
C16: from Dutch
wintergroen or German
Wintergrün; see
winter,
green