comfrey

English

A comfrey plant

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Medieval Latin cumfiria; this was possibly from earlier Latin conferva (an aquatic herb mentioned in Pliny), from conferveo (“I boil together”; from the use of the plant in tea to aid in healing bones).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkʌm.fɹi/

Noun

comfrey (countable and uncountable, plural comfreys)

  1. Any of several species of perennial herbs of the genus Symphytum, often specifically Symphytum officinale.
    • 2007 April 25, Kim Severson, “Farmer, Cookie Maker, Ecologist and, Yes, the Future King”, in New York Times:
      It thrives on compost and natural fertilizers brewed from comfrey or seaweed and uses only rain, natural groundwater or wastewater purified through a system of reed beds.

Translations

Further reading

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.