Meanings
plural motherworts
- Any of several perennial plants of the genus Leonurus, especially Leonurus cardiaca, used in traditional medicine to help with childbirth or treat uterine disorders.First known use 13th c.
Besides, it makes women joyful and mothers of children and settles their wombs as they should be; therefore we call it Motherwort.
1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society, published 2007, page 1951 more example
—Miss Luna, muffling up her head, Went with the ague, straight to bed, Put out her lamp, and bade them tell She could not hear her mistress' bell, Begg'd them with motherwort to dose her, And drew her cloudy night-cap closer.—
1827, Lydia Sigourney, Poems, The Comet of 1825, page 151 - common wormwood, mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris).
Synonyms & antonyms
nounbitter Old World herb of hedgerows and woodland margins having toothed leaves and white or pale pink flowers
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishmoderwort
- Englishmotherwort
From Middle English moderwort; equivalent to mother + wort. Compare Chinese 益母草 (yìmǔcǎo)
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πυκνόκομον
- πυκνόκομον (puknókomon)Leonurus cardiaca
Bulgarian дяволска уста
- дяволска уста (djavolska usta)Leonurus cardiaca
Catalan cardíaca, mà de Santa Maria
- cardíacaLeonurus cardiaca
- mà de Santa MariaLeonurus cardiaca
- herba del mal de corLeonurus cardiaca
Chinese Mandarin 益母, 益母草
- 益母 (yìmǔ)plant of the genus Leonurus
- 益母草 (yìmǔcǎo)plant of the genus Leonurus
Estonian veiste-südamerohi
- veiste-südamerohiLeonurus cardiaca
Finnish nukula, rohtonukula
- nukulaplant of the genus Leonurus
- rohtonukulaLeonurus cardiaca
- nukulaLeonurus cardiaca
Japanese 目弾
- 目弾 (mehajiki)plant of the genus Leonurus
Malay kacangma
- kacangmaplant of the genus Leonurus
Romanian talpa-gâștei
- talpa-gâșteiplant of the genus Leonurus
Russian пусты́рник, пусты́рник серде́чный
- пусты́рник (pustýrnik)plant of the genus Leonurus
- пусты́рник серде́чный (pustýrnik serdéčnyj)Leonurus cardiaca
- пусты́рник обыкнове́нный (pustýrnik obyknovénnyj)Leonurus cardiaca
Swedish hjärtstilla
- hjärtstillaLeonurus cardiaca
Turkish aslankuyruğu, yer pırasası
- aslankuyruğuplant of the genus Leonurus
- yer pırasasıplant of the genus Leonurus
Cite this entry
motherwort. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherwort
“motherwort.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherwort. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “motherwort,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherwort.
Source: motherwort on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.