Word Study
frostweed
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun frostweed has 2 senses
- frostweed(n = noun.plant) crocanthemum canadense, frost-weed, frostwort, helianthemum canadense - perennial of the eastern United States having early solitary yellow flowers followed by late petalless flowers; so-called because ice crystals form on it during first frosts; Array is a kind of helianthemum, sun rose, sunrose
- frostweed(n = noun.plant) frost-weed, verbesina virginica, virginia crownbeard - tall perennial herb having clusters of white flowers; the eastern United States; Array is a kind of crown-beard, crown beard, crownbeard
CIDE DICTIONARY
frostweed, n.
An American species of rockrose (Helianthemum Canadense ), sometimes used in medicine as an astringent or aromatic tonic. [1913 Webster]
" It has large yellow flowers which are often sterile, and later it has abundant but inconspicuous flowers which bear seed. It is so called because, late in autumn, crystals of ice shoot from the cracked bark at the root; -- called also frostwort."
[1913 Webster]
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