Beldwort
/ˈbɛld.wɜːrt/noun
A herb formerly believed to be useful in treating baldness.
Did you know?The ending “-wort” once meant simply “plant” or “herb,” appearing in names for medicinal plants long before modern pharmacy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*balþaz / *balda-
“A Germanic root associated with baldness or a bald patch”
Old English
Old English
bald
“Bald; lacking hair”
Old English
Old English
wyrt
“Plant, herb, or root”
Middle English
Middle English
baldwort / beldwort
“A medicinal plant associated with baldness”
Early Modern English
English
beldwort
“A herb reputed to remedy baldness”
Modern English
English
beldwort
“An obsolete or rare plant name”