hortus siccus

noun

A collection of specimens of plants, dried and preserved and arranged systematically; a herbarium.

OriginLatin hortus →
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Meanings

noun
  1. A collection of specimens of plants, dried and preserved and arranged systematically; a herbarium.

    It would certainly be a valuable addition of nondescripts to the ample collection of known classes, genera and species, which at present beautify the hortus siccus of dissent.

    1790, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, Oxford, published 2009, page 13

Origin

  1. Latinhortus“garden”
  2. Englishhortus siccus

From Latin hortus (“garden”) + siccus (“dry”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hortus siccus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hortus%20siccus

MLA

“hortus siccus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hortus%20siccus. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hortus siccus,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hortus%20siccus.

Source: hortus siccus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.