Meanings
spurge1
plural spurges
- uncountableusuallyAny plant of the genus Euphorbia, a diverse genus of over 2,000 species.
A compound of spurge, cardamom, cinnamon of Mecca, pellitory, ginger, nettle seed is an Arab specific for sexual weakness.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 2281 more example
But cockle, spurge, according to their law / Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, / You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove.
1855, Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, section X - uncountableusuallyA plant resembling those in genus Euphorbia in some aspect of its appearance.
spurge2
present singular third person spurges · participle present spurging · participle past spurged · past spurged
- intransitiveTo emit foam; to froth; said of the emission of yeast from beer during fermentation.
The body's somthing noysome: 'tis a stale one; / Good troth it spurgeth very monstrously.
1661, W. Cartwright, Siedge
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny plant of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae.
Origin
spurge · noun
- Old Frenchespurge
- Middle Englishspurge
- Englishspurge
Inherited from Middle English spurge, from Old French espurge, from espurgier (“to purge”), from Latin expurgo (“to purge”); the bitter milky sap of these plants was formerly used as a purgative.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →spurge · verb
Uncertain, but likely closely related to etymology 1, thus a doublet of purge.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek τιθύμαλλος
- τιθύμαλλος (tithúmallos)any plant of the genus Euphorbia
Bulgarian млечка, пеня се
- млечка (mlečka)any plant of the genus Euphorbia
- пеня се (penja se)of beer during fermentation: to emit foam
Catalan lleteresa, lletera
- lleteresaany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- lleteraany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Chinese Mandarin 大戟
- 大戟 (dàjǐ)any plant of the genus Euphorbia
Danish vortemælk
- vortemælkany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Dutch wolfsmelk
- wolfsmelkany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Finnish tyräkki, vaahdota
- tyräkkiany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- vaahdotaof beer during fermentation: to emit foam
French euphorbe, épurge
- euphorbeany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- épurgeany plant of the genus Euphorbia
German Wolfsmilch
- Wolfsmilchany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Hungarian kutyatej
- kutyatejany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Irish bainne caoin, buí na n-iníon
- bainne caoinany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- buí na n-iníonany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- buí na mbábany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- spuirseany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Italian euforbia
- euforbiaany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Japanese 灯台草, ユーフォルビア
- 灯台草 (tōdaigusa)any plant of the genus Euphorbia
- ユーフォルビア (yūforubia)any plant of the genus Euphorbia
Persian شبرم
- شبرم (šebram)any plant of the genus Euphorbia
Polish wilczomlecz
- wilczomleczany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Portuguese eufórbio
- eufórbioany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Romanian aior, alior
- aiorany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- aliorany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Russian молоча́й
- молоча́й (moločáj)any plant of the genus Euphorbia
Scottish Gaelic spuirse
- spuirseany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Spanish euforbio, lechetrezna
- euforbioany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- lechetreznaany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Swahili mkweche
- mkwecheany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Swedish törel
- törelany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Tamil கள்ளி
- கள்ளி (kaḷḷi)any plant of the genus Euphorbia
Turkish sütleğen, Japon kaktüsü
- sütleğenany plant of the genus Euphorbia
- Japon kaktüsüany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Welsh llaethlys
- llaethlysany plant of the genus Euphorbia
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with spurge
Cite this entry
spurge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spurge
“spurge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spurge. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spurge,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spurge.
Source: spurge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.