valerian
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
valerian /vəˈlɪərɪən/
▶noun
- 1 a plant bearing clusters of small pink, red, or white flowers. [Valeriana officinalis, Centranthus ruber (red valerian), and other species.]
- 2 a drug obtained from a valerian root, used as a sedative and antispasmodic.
– origin ME: from OFr. valeriane, from med. L. valeriana (herba), appar. the fem. of Valerianus ‘of Valerius’ (a personal name).
'valerian' also found in these Oxford entries:
