spurge

What it means

1. uncountableusuallyAny plant of the genus Euphorbia, a diverse genus of over 2,000 species.

   A compound of spurge, cardamom, cinnamon of Mecca, pellitory, ginger, nettle seed is an Arab specific for sexual weakness.

   1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 228

   1 more example

   But cockle, spurge, according to their law / Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, / You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove.

   1855, Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, section X

2. uncountableusuallyAny plant of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae.

   Synonyms: euphorbia

3. uncountableusuallyA plant resembling those in genus Euphorbia in some aspect of its appearance.

In a sentence

But cockle, spurge, according to their law / Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, / You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove.

1855, Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, section X

Where it comes from

1. Old Frenchespurge
2. Middle Englishspurge
3. Englishspurge

Inherited from Middle English spurge, from Old French espurge, from espurgier (“to purge”), from Latin expurgo (“to purge”); the bitter milky sap of these plants was formerly used as a purgative.