Meanings
plural camomiles · alternative US chamomile · alternative obsolete camomille · alternative obsolete chamomille
- An asteracean plant with a fragrance reminiscent of apples:
- UKcountableuncountableMatricaria chamomilla, German chamomile or Hungarian chamomile, with fragrant flowers used for tea, and as an herbal remedy.
Synonyms: German camomile, Hungarian camomile
- UKcountableuncountableChamaemelum nobile (formerly Anthemis nobilis), English chamomile or Roman chamomile, a ground cover with fragrant foliage.
Synonyms: Roman camomile, English camomile
- UKcountableuncountableAny of several other similar plants. (See below)
- UKabbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of camomile tea.
1 more example
On another occasion, when trying to brainstorm things I could do to make myself feel better despite all the pandemic restrictions, Woebot suggested I “try doing something nice for someone in your life,” like make a calming tea for my housemate or check in with a loved one. I poured my mum some chamomile: Two birds, one stone.
2022 September 27, Barclay Bram, “My Therapist, the Robot”, in The New York Times
Synonyms & antonyms
nounMatricaria chamomilla, German chamomile or Hungarian chamomile, with fragrant flowers used for tea, and as an herbal remedy.
nounChamaemelum nobile (formerly Anthemis nobilis), English chamomile or Roman chamomile, a ground cover with fragrant foliage.
More synonyms by meaning
nounEurasian plant with apple-scented foliage and white-rayed flowers and feathery leaves used medicinally; in some classification systems placed in genus Anthemis
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekχαμαίμηλον
- Latinchamaemelon
- Late Latincamomilla
- Old Frenchcamomille
- Middle Englishcamamille
- Englishcamomile
From Middle English camamille, first attested 1265, from Old French camomille, from Late Latin camomilla, from Latin chamaemelon, from Ancient Greek χαμαίμηλον (khamaímēlon, literally “earth-apple”), from χαμαί (khamaí, “on the ground”) + μῆλον (mêlon, “apple”). So called because of the apple-like scent of the plant.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek χαμαίμηλον
- χαμαίμηλον (khamaímēlon)Chamaemelum nobile
Arabic بَابُونَج
- بَابُونَج (bābūnaj)Matricaria chamomilla
Bulgarian медици́нска ла́йка, ри́мска ла́йка
- медици́нска ла́йка (medicínska lájka)Matricaria chamomilla
- ри́мска ла́йка (rímska lájka)Chamaemelum nobile
Catalan camamilla, camamilla romana
- camamillaMatricaria chamomilla
- camamilla romanaChamaemelum nobile
Chinese Mandarin 母菊, 果香菊
- 母菊 (mǔjú)Matricaria chamomilla
- 果香菊 (guǒxiāngjú)Chamaemelum nobile
Czech heřmánek, rmenec
- heřmánekMatricaria chamomilla
- rmenecChamaemelum nobile
- rmenec sličnýChamaemelum nobile
- rmen sličnýChamaemelum nobile
- rmen římskýChamaemelum nobile
- heřmánek římskýChamaemelum nobile
Finnish kamomillasaunio, jalosauramo
- kamomillasaunioMatricaria chamomilla
- jalosauramoChamaemelum nobile
- sauramosimilar plant
- sauniosimilar plant
French camomille
- camomilleMatricaria chamomilla
German Kamille, Echte Kamille
- KamilleMatricaria chamomilla
- Echte KamilleMatricaria chamomilla
- Römische KamilleChamaemelum nobile
Greek χαμομήλι, χαμομήλι
- χαμομήλι (chamomíli)Matricaria chamomilla
- χαμομήλι (chamomíli)similar plant
Hungarian kamilla, orvosi székfű
- kamillaMatricaria chamomilla
- orvosi székfűMatricaria chamomilla
- római kamillaChamaemelum nobile
Irish fíogadán, camán meall
- fíogadánMatricaria chamomilla
- camán meallChamaemelum nobile
- camán míonlaChamaemelum nobile
Japanese カミツレ, ローマカミツレ
- カミツレ (kamitsure)Matricaria chamomilla
- ローマカミツレ (rōma kamitsure)Chamaemelum nobile
Korean 저먼캐모마일, 캐모마일
- 저먼캐모마일 (jeomeonkaemomail)Matricaria chamomilla
- 캐모마일 (kaemomail)Chamaemelum nobile
Norwegian Bokmål kamille
- kamilleMatricaria chamomilla
Polish rumianek, rumianek pospolity
- rumianekMatricaria chamomilla
- rumianek pospolityMatricaria chamomilla
- rumian rzymskiChamaemelum nobile
- rumianeksimilar plant
Portuguese camomila, macela
- camomilaMatricaria chamomilla
- macelaMatricaria chamomilla
- camomilaChamaemelum nobile
- macelaChamaemelum nobile
- camomilasimilar plant
- macelasimilar plant
Romanian mușețel
- mușețelMatricaria chamomilla
Russian рома́шка, рома́шка апте́чная
- рома́шка (romáška)Matricaria chamomilla
- рома́шка апте́чная (romáška aptéčnaja)Matricaria chamomilla
- рома́шка лека́рственная (romáška lekárstvennaja)Matricaria chamomilla
- рома́шка обо́дранная (romáška obódrannaja)Matricaria chamomilla
- рома́шка (romáška)Chamaemelum nobile
- рома́шка ри́мская (romáška rímskaja)Chamaemelum nobile
- пупа́вка благоро́дная (pupávka blagoródnaja)Chamaemelum nobile
- хамеме́люм благоро́дный (xameméljum blagoródnyj)Chamaemelum nobile
- рома́шка (romáška)similar plant
Scottish Gaelic camomhail, camomhail
- camomhailMatricaria chamomilla
- camomhailChamaemelum nobile
- camomhailsimilar plant
- mìn-lach (field camomile, Anthemis arvensis)similar plant
Slovak kamilka, harmanček
- kamilkaMatricaria chamomilla
- harmančekMatricaria chamomilla
- rumančekMatricaria chamomilla
Spanish manzanilla, manzanilla
- manzanillaMatricaria chamomilla
- manzanillaChamaemelum nobile
Swedish kamomill, romersk kamomill
- kamomillMatricaria chamomilla
- romersk kamomillChamaemelum nobile
- kamomillsimilar plant
Turkish mayıs papatyası, Alman papatyası
- mayıs papatyasıMatricaria chamomilla
- Alman papatyasıChamaemelum nobile
- papatyasimilar plant
Ukrainian рома́шка
- рома́шка (romáška)similar plant
Welsh amranwen bêr
- amranwen bêrMatricaria chamomilla
Cite this entry
camomile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/camomile
“camomile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/camomile. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “camomile,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/camomile.
Source: camomile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.