shepherd's purse

noun

An edible weed, Capsella bursa-pastoris, family Brassicaceae, native to Europe but now found world-wide.

Similar
shepherd's pouchCapsella bursa-pastoris
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Meanings

nounshepherd's purse (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAn edible weed, Capsella bursa-pastoris, family Brassicaceae, native to Europe but now found world-wide.

    To him that hath a flux, of Sheepheards purse he gives

    1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion, song 13 p. 218
    1 more example

    Stewed nettles; savoury messes of chickweed sprinkled with nutmeg; he cooks the foliage of shepherd's purse as if it were cabbage.

    1979, Angela Carter, “The Erl-King”, in The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2006, page 98

    Synonyms: shepherd's pouch

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn edible weed, Capsella bursa-pastoris, family Brassicaceae, native to Europe but now found world-wide.

Similar
shepherd's pouch

More synonyms by meaning

nounwhite-flowered annual European herb bearing triangular notched pods; nearly cosmopolitan as an introduced weed

Similar
shepherd's pouchCapsella bursa-pastoris
Broader
crucifercruciferous plant
Also see
shepherd's pouchshovelweed

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Alluding to the shape of its seed vessel. Compare mediaeval Latin bursa pastoris, French bourse-à-berger, German Hirtentasche.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek θλάσπις
  • θλάσπις (thláspis)Capsella bursa-pastoris
Arabic كِيس الرَاعِي
  • كِيس الرَاعِي (kīs ar-rāʕī)Capsella bursa-pastoris
Bulgarian овчарска торбичка
  • овчарска торбичка (ovčarska torbička)Capsella bursa-pastoris
Catalan sarronets de pastor, bosses de pastor
  • sarronets de pastorCapsella bursa-pastoris
  • bosses de pastorCapsella bursa-pastoris
Chinese Mandarin 薺菜 /荠菜
  • 薺菜 /荠菜 (jìcài)Capsella bursa-pastoris
Czech kokoška pastuší tobolka
  • kokoška pastuší tobolkaCapsella bursa-pastoris
Dutch herderstasje
  • herderstasjeCapsella bursa-pastoris
Finnish lutukka
  • lutukkaCapsella bursa-pastoris
French bourse-à-pasteur, boursette
  • bourse-à-pasteurCapsella bursa-pastoris
  • boursetteCapsella bursa-pastoris
  • capselleCapsella bursa-pastoris
  • bourse-à-bergerCapsella bursa-pastoris
German Hirtentäschel, Hirtentäschelkraut
  • HirtentäschelCapsella bursa-pastoris
  • HirtentäschelkrautCapsella bursa-pastoris
Greek αγριοκαρδαμούδα
  • αγριοκαρδαμούδα (agriokardamoúda)Capsella bursa-pastoris
Irish lus an sparáin
  • lus an sparáinCapsella bursa-pastoris
Japanese 薺
  • 薺 (nazuna)Capsella bursa-pastoris
Korean 냉이
  • 냉이 (naeng'i)Capsella bursa-pastoris
Polish tasznik
  • tasznikCapsella bursa-pastoris
Portuguese bolsa-de-pastor
  • bolsa-de-pastorCapsella bursa-pastoris
Romanian traista-ciobanului, punguliță
  • traista-ciobanuluiCapsella bursa-pastoris
  • pungulițăCapsella bursa-pastoris
Russian сумочник пастуший, пасту́шья су́мка
  • сумочник пастуший (sumočnik pastušij)Capsella bursa-pastoris
  • пасту́шья су́мка (pastúšʹja súmka)Capsella bursa-pastoris
Slovak pastierska kapsička
  • pastierska kapsičkaCapsella bursa-pastoris
Spanish bolsa del pastor
  • bolsa del pastorCapsella bursa-pastoris
Swedish lomme
  • lommeCapsella bursa-pastoris
Turkish çobançantası
  • çobançantasıCapsella bursa-pastoris
Welsh pwrs y bugail
  • pwrs y bugailCapsella bursa-pastoris
Cite this entry
APA

shepherd's purse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shepherd's%20purse

MLA

“shepherd's purse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shepherd's%20purse. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shepherd's purse,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shepherd's%20purse.

Source: shepherd's purse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.