Meanings
nounminer's lettuce (uncountable)
- uncountableWinter purslane (Montia perfoliata, now Claytonia perfoliata), a plant of western North America with mild-flavored edible greens.
- uncountableRelated plants with similar appearance and uses, such as Claytonia parviflora and Claytonia rubra
Synonyms & antonyms
nounsucculent herb sometimes grown as a salad or pot herb; grows on dunes and waste ground of Pacific coast of North America
Similar
Broader
Indian lettuce
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From the fact that miners during the California Gold Rush ate such plant to prevent scurvy.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch winterpostelein
- winterposteleinplant
Finnish salaattikleitonia
- salaattikleitoniaplant
Spanish verdolaga de Cuba, lechuga de minero (Spanglish/anglicismo)
- verdolaga de Cubaplant
- lechuga de minero (Spanglish/anglicismo)plant
Swedish vinterportlak
- vinterportlakplant
Cite this entry
APA
miner's lettuce. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miner's%20lettuce
MLA
“miner's lettuce.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miner's%20lettuce. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “miner's lettuce,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miner's%20lettuce.
Source: miner's lettuce on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.