SNAKEROOT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does snakeroot mean? 

• SNAKEROOT (noun)
  The noun SNAKEROOT has 2 senses:

1. a plant of the genus Sanicula having palmately compound leaves and unisexual flowers in panicled umbels followed by bristly fruit; reputed to have healing powers

2. any of various North American plants of the genus Liatris having racemes or panicles of small discoid flower heads

  Familiarity information: SNAKEROOT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SNAKEROOT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A plant of the genus Sanicula having palmately compound leaves and unisexual flowers in panicled umbels followed by bristly fruit; reputed to have healing powers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

sanicle; snakeroot

Hypernyms ("snakeroot" is a kind of...):

herb; herbaceous plant (a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "snakeroot"):

footsteps-of-spring; Sanicula arctopoides (sanicle of northwestern United States and British Columbia having yellow flowers)

purple sanicle; Sanicula bipinnatifida (sanicle of northwestern United States and British Columbia having yellow or red or purple flowers)

European sanicle; Sanicula Europaea (sanicle of Europe and Asia having white to pale pink flowers)

Holonyms ("snakeroot" is a member of...):

genus Sanicula; Sanicula (chiefly American herbs: sanicle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any of various North American plants of the genus Liatris having racemes or panicles of small discoid flower heads

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

blazing star; button snakeroot; gay-feather; gayfeather; snakeroot

Hypernyms ("snakeroot" is a kind of...):

wild flower; wildflower (wild or uncultivated flowering plant)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "snakeroot"):

dotted gayfeather; Liatris punctata (herb with many stems bearing narrow slender wands of crowded rose-lavender flowers; central United States and Canada to Texas and northern Mexico)

dense blazing star; Liatris pycnostachya (perennial of southeastern and central United States having very dense spikes of purple flowers; often cultivated for cut flowers)

Holonyms ("snakeroot" is a member of...):

genus Liatris; Liatris (genus of perennial North American herbs with aromatic usually cormous roots)

 Context examples 

Also called black snakeroot, bugbane, bugwort, and rattlesnake root.

(Black cohosh, NCI Dictionary)

Also called black cohosh, black snakeroot, bugwort, and rattlesnake root.

(Bugbane, NCI Dictionary)

Also called black cohosh, black snakeroot, bugbane, and rattlesnake root.

(Bugwort, NCI Dictionary)