bryony

B3R1Y4O1N1Y4
/ˈbɹaɪəni/

noun

A perennial herb of the genus Bryonia, especially the common wild subspecies Bryonia cretica dioica (syn. Bryonia dioica).

Similar
briony
OriginMiddle English brionie ← Latin bryōnia ← Ancient Greek βρυωνία →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

bryony1

nounbryony (countable and uncountable, plural bryonies)

plural bryonies · alternative briony

  1. countableuncountableA perennial herb of the genus Bryonia, especially the common wild subspecies Bryonia cretica dioica (syn. Bryonia dioica).

    I cycled the three miles each morning between hedges draped with spangled cobwebs and berried bryony.

    1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 216
    1 more example

    On a sudden a low breath / Of tender air made tremble in the hedge / The fragil bindweed-bells and briony rings; […]

    1855, Alfred Tennyson, “The Brook; an Idyl”, in Maud, and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 112

Bryony2

proper noun
  1. A female given name from English.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna vine of the genus Bryonia having large leaves and small flowers and yielding acrid juice with emetic and purgative properties

Similar
briony
Broader
vine

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

bryony · noun

  1. Ancient Greekβρυωνία“bryony”
  2. Latinbryōnia“bryony”
  3. Middle Englishbrionie
  4. Englishbryony

From Middle English brionie, from Latin bryōnia (“bryony”), from Ancient Greek βρυωνία (bruōnía, “bryony”), from βρύω (brúō).

More words from Middle English, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Bryony · proper noun

From the bryony plant in the 19th century.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek βρυωνία, ἄμπελος λευκή
  • βρυωνία (bruōnía)herb of Bryonia
  • ἄμπελος λευκή (ámpelos leukḗ)herb of Bryonia
Arabic فَاشِرَا
  • فَاشِرَا (fāširā)herb of Bryonia
Catalan briònia
  • briòniaherb of Bryonia
Chinese Mandarin 瀉根 /泻根
  • 瀉根 /泻根 (xiègēn)herb of Bryonia
Czech posed
  • posedherb of Bryonia
Finnish koirannauris, koiranköynnös
  • koirannaurisherb of Bryonia
  • koiranköynnösherb of Bryonia
French brione
  • brioneherb of Bryonia
German Zaunrübe
  • Zaunrübeherb of Bryonia
Italian brionia
  • brioniaherb of Bryonia
Latin bryonia
  • bryoniaherb of Bryonia
Persian فاشرا
  • فاشرا (fâšerâ)herb of Bryonia
Russian пересту́пень, брио́ния
  • пересту́пень (perestúpenʹ)herb of Bryonia
  • брио́ния (briónija)herb of Bryonia
Swedish hundrova
  • hundrovaherb of Bryonia
Cite this entry
APA

bryony. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bryony

MLA

“bryony.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bryony. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bryony,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bryony.

Source: bryony on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.