blood-wort
(ˈblʌdwɜːt)
[f. as prec. + wort.]
A name applied to various plants having red roots or leaves, or popularly supposed to stanch blood or to draw blood. Among these are the Bloody Dock (Rumex sanguineus), the Dwarf Elder or Danewort (Sambucus Ebulus); also Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis), the American Blood-root (Sanguinaria canadensis), and genus Hæmodorum.
| c 1250 Gloss. in Wright Voc. 140 Bursa pastoris, sanguinarie, blodwurt. 1538 Leland Itin. V. 4 A certen Bloodeworth growith ther wher the Bloode was shedde. 1552 Huloet, Bludwort herb, or that which stoppeth bloud. 1578 Lyte Dodoens iii. xlv. 380 This herbe is called..in Englishe Walwort, Danewort, and Bloodwort. 1671 Salmon Syn. Med. iii. xxii. 405 Lapathum Sanguineum..Bloodwort, cleanses the blood much. 1812 Withering Bot. Arrangem. (1830) II. iv. 235 Sanguisorba officinalis, Wild Burnet, Bloodwort. 1872 Rossetti Ho. of Life (1882) li, With tear-spurge wan, with blood-wort burning red. |