Meanings
plural lovages
- countableuncountableA perennial Mediterranean herb, of species Levisticum officinale, with odor and flavor resembling celery.
- countableuncountableA liquor made from this herb.
- countableuncountableVarious species in the genus Ligusticum (generally with an adjective to differentiate them from Levisticum)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounherb native to southern Europe; cultivated for its edible stalks and foliage and seeds
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient GreekΛιγυστικός“Ligurian”
- Latinligusticum
- Latinlevisticum
- Middle Frenchlevesche
- Old Frenchluvache
- Anglo-Normanluvasche
- Middle Englishloveache
- Englishlovage
From Middle English loveache, a folk-etymological alteration, after love and ache (“parsley”), of Anglo-Norman luvasche and Old French luvache, loveche et al., and Middle French levesche, from Latin levisticum, probably alteration of Latin ligusticum, substantivization of the neuter of Ligusticus (“Ligurian”), ultimately from Ancient Greek Λιγυστικός (Ligustikós, “Ligurian”), from Λίγυς (Lígus, “Ligurian”). This replaced the Old English name lufestiċe (literally “love-stitch”), which was also derived from levisticum and altered by folk-etymology.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic زَوْفَرَا, كَاشِم
- زَوْفَرَا (zawfarā)a Mediterranean herb
- كَاشِم (kāšim)a Mediterranean herb
Bulgarian девеси́л, лющя́н
- девеси́л (devesíl)a Mediterranean herb
- лющя́н (ljuštján)a Mediterranean herb
Catalan api bord
- api borda Mediterranean herb
Chinese Mandarin 歐當歸 /欧当归
- 歐當歸 /欧当归 (Ōudāngguī)a Mediterranean herb
Czech libeček
- libečeka Mediterranean herb
Danish løvstikke
- løvstikkea Mediterranean herb
Dutch lavas, maggiplant
- lavasa Mediterranean herb
- maggiplanta Mediterranean herb
Estonian harilik leeskputk
- harilik leeskputka Mediterranean herb
Finnish liperi, lipstikka
- liperia Mediterranean herb
- lipstikkaa Mediterranean herb
French livèche
- livèchea Mediterranean herb
German Liebstöckel, Maggikraut
- Liebstöckela Mediterranean herb
- Maggikrauta Mediterranean herb
Greek λεβιστικό
- λεβιστικό (levistikó)a Mediterranean herb
Hungarian lestyán, orvosi lestyán
- lestyána Mediterranean herb
- orvosi lestyána Mediterranean herb
Irish luáiste
- luáistea Mediterranean herb
Italian levistico, sedano di montagna
- levisticoa Mediterranean herb
- sedano di montagnaa Mediterranean herb
Korean 러비지
- 러비지 (reobiji)a Mediterranean herb
Latin ligusticum
- ligusticuma Mediterranean herb
Persian انگدان
- انگدان (angodân)a Mediterranean herb
Polish lubczyk
- lubczyka Mediterranean herb
Portuguese levístico
- levísticoa Mediterranean herb
Romanian leuștean
- leușteana Mediterranean herb
Russian люби́сток, любисто́к
- люби́сток (ljubístok)a Mediterranean herb
- любисто́к (ljubistók)a Mediterranean herb
Slovak ligurček
- ligurčeka Mediterranean herb
Spanish levístico, apio de monte
- levísticoa Mediterranean herb
- apio de montea Mediterranean herb
Swedish libbsticka
- libbstickaa Mediterranean herb
Turkish selam otu
- selam otua Mediterranean herb
Ukrainian люби́сток
- люби́сток (ljubýstok)a Mediterranean herb
Vietnamese cần núi
- cần núia Mediterranean herb
Welsh llwfach, lofaets
- llwfacha Mediterranean herb
- lofaetsa Mediterranean herb
- lofatscha Mediterranean herb
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
lovage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lovage
“lovage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lovage. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lovage,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lovage.
Source: lovage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.