Meanings
plural henbits
- An annual herb, of species Lamium amplexicaule, with pink or purple flowers and deeply crenate leaves.
Henbit typically sprouts in fall, after the soil has been cultivated following the removal of summer plants. It grows well in partial shade or full sun and is considered an indicator of rich, moisture-holding soil.
1996, Barbara Pleasant, The Gardener's Weed Book: Earth-safe Controls, Storey Publishing, →ISBN, page 801 more example
The fourth kind (called of the base Almaignes Hoenderbeet) that is to say, Henbit, hath many round and hairie stems. The leaves be somewhat round, hairie, and a little snipt or jagged about the edges, otherwise not much unlike the leaves of great Chickweede. The floures be blew or purple, and do bring foorth^([sic]) small close knappes or huskes, in which is inclosed the seede.
1586, Henry Lyte, Rembert Dodoens, A new herball, or, Historie of plants : wherein is contained the whole discourse and perfect description of all sorts of herbes and plants […] , Ninian Newton, page 100Synonyms: henbit deadnettle, common henbit, greater henbit
- broadlyOther species of plant that resemble L. amplexicaule, especially related species of deadnettle in the genus Lamium.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn annual herb, of species Lamium amplexicaule, with pink or purple flowers and deeply crenate leaves.
More synonyms by meaning
nounEurasian plant having toothed leaves and small two-lipped white or purplish-red flowers
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval LatinMorsus gallinae
- Dutchhoenderbeet
- Englishhenbit
Calque of Dutch hoenderbeet. By surface analysis, hen + bit (past participle of bite; bitten). First attested in 1578. Cognate with Middle Low German hennebit and German Hühnerbiss; all likely derived from Medieval Latin Morsus gallinae, the ancestor of Italian mordigallina, French morgeline and obsolete English margeline. See also chickweed.
More words from Dutch, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan flor robí, galleret
- flor robíLamium amplexicaule
- galleretLamium amplexicaule
- mataporcLamium amplexicaule
- tinya negraLamium amplexicaule
Finnish sepopeippi, sepiväpeippi
- sepopeippiLamium amplexicaule
- sepiväpeippiLamium amplexicaule
Polish jasnota różowa
- jasnota różowaLamium amplexicaule
Scottish Gaelic caoch-dheanntag chearc
- caoch-dheanntag chearcLamium amplexicaule
Spanish ortiga mansa
- ortiga mansaLamium amplexicaule
Cite this entry
henbit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/henbit
“henbit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/henbit. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “henbit,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/henbit.
Source: henbit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.