dittany

D2I1T1T1A1N1Y4
/ˈdɪtəni/

noun

A labiate plant of species Origanum dictamnus, formerly renowned for its medicinal properties; dittany of Crete.

Similar
fraxinella, gas plant, burning bushcommon dittany, stone mint, frost mint, American dittanyfraxinellaburning bushgas plantDictamnus alba
OriginOld French ditan ← Latin dictamnum ← Ancient Greek δίκταμνον →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

noundittany (countable and uncountable, plural dittanies)

plural dittanies

  1. countableuncountableA labiate plant of species Origanum dictamnus, formerly renowned for its medicinal properties; dittany of Crete.
  2. countableuncountableA fragrant plant in the rue family, Dictamnus albus.

    Synonyms: fraxinella, gas plant, burning bush

  3. countableuncountableFalse dittany (Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus, syn. Ballota pseudodictamnus)
  4. UScountableuncountableA fragrant herb in the mint family native to the eastern United States (Cunila origanoides).

    Synonyms: common dittany, stone mint, frost mint, American dittany

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA fragrant plant in the rue family, Dictamnus albus.

Similar
fraxinella, gas plant, burning bush

nounA fragrant herb in the mint family native to the eastern United States (Cunila origanoides).

Similar
common dittany, stone mint, frost mint, American dittany

More synonyms by meaning

nounEurasian perennial herb with white flowers that emit flammable vapor in hot weather

Similar
fraxinellaburning bushgas plantDictamnus alba
Broader
herbherbaceous plant
Also see
burning bushdictamnusdittanderfraxinellagas plant

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekδίκταμνον
  2. Latindictamnum
  3. Old Frenchditan
  4. Englishdittany

From Old French ditan (French dictame), from Latin dictamnum, from Ancient Greek δίκταμνον (díktamnon), reportedly from Δίκτη (Díktē, “Dicte”), a mountain in Crete on whose slopes the plant grew.

More words from Old French, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek δίκταμνον
  • δίκταμνον (díktamnon)dittany of Crete
Arabic مُشْكِطْرَامَشِير
  • مُشْكِطْرَامَشِير (muškiṭrāmašīr)dittany of Crete
Bulgarian кри́тски ри́ган
  • кри́тски ри́ган (krítski rígan)dittany of Crete
Catalan marduix de Creta
  • marduix de Cretadittany of Crete
Finnish kreetanmeirami
  • kreetanmeiramidittany of Crete
French dictame
  • dictamedittany of Crete
German Diptam-Dost, Diktamo
  • Diptam-Dostdittany of Crete
  • Diktamodittany of Crete
  • kretischer Diptamdittany of Crete
Greek δίκταμο
  • δίκταμο (díktamo)dittany of Crete
Italian dittamo
  • dittamodittany of Crete
Persian مشکطرامشیر
  • مشکطرامشیر (mošktarâmašir)dittany of Crete
Russian души́ца диктамнус, души́ца кри́тская
  • души́ца диктамнус (dušíca diktamnus)dittany of Crete
  • души́ца кри́тская (dušíca krítskaja)dittany of Crete
Swedish kretadiptam
  • kretadiptamdittany of Crete
Turkish Girit kekiği
  • Girit kekiğidittany of Crete
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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