Meanings
plural butterburs
- Any of several Eurasian herbs, of the genus Petasites, having dense clusters of often purple flowers.
Synonyms: butterdock, sweet coltsfoot
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of several Eurasian herbs, of the genus Petasites, having dense clusters of often purple flowers.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsmall Eurasian herb having broad leaves and lilac-pink rayless flowers; found in moist areas
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From butter + bur: its large leaves were once used to wrap butter.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πετασῖτις
- πετασῖτις (petasîtis)herb
Arabic أَرَام
- أَرَام (ʔarām)herb
Bulgarian чоба́нка
- чоба́нка (čobánka)herb
Catalan barretera
- barreteraherb
Chinese Mandarin 蜂斗菜属
- 蜂斗菜属 (fēng dòu cài shǔ)herb
Czech devětsil
- devětsilherb
Danish hestehov
- hestehovherb
Dutch hoefblad
- hoefbladherb
Finnish ruttojuuri
- ruttojuuriherb
French pétasite
- pétasiteherb
German Pestwurz
- Pestwurzherb
Greek πετασίτης
- πετασίτης (petasítis)herb
Irish borrán, gallán mór
- borránherb
- gallán mórherb
- meacan an phobóilherb
Italian farfaraccio, petasite
- farfaraccioherb
- petasiteherb
Japanese 苳, 蕗
- 苳herb
- 蕗 (fuki)herb
Korean 머위
- 머위 (meowi)herb
Lithuanian šaukštis
- šaukštisherb
Polish lepiężnik
- lepiężnikherb
Russian белокопы́тник
- белокопы́тник (belokopýtnik)herb
Slovak deväťsil
- deväťsilherb
Spanish petasita
- petasitaherb
Swedish pestskråp
- pestskråpherb
Cite this entry
butterbur. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butterbur
“butterbur.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butterbur. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “butterbur,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butterbur.
Source: butterbur on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.