Pyrethrum
/paɪˈriː.θrəm/noun
A flowering plant in the daisy family, especially one used to make insecticidal preparations.
Did you know?Pyrethrum comes through Latin from Greek pyrethron, a plant name connected by ancient writers to pyretos (“fever”), which is why the word feels like it’s burning before it ever blooms.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
πυρέθρον (pyrethron)
“A plant name, especially feverfew or a related daisy-like herb”
Late Latin
Latin
pyrethrum
“Borrowed plant name used in learned botanical writing”
Middle French
French
pyrethre
“The plant pyrethrum, especially a medicinal or insecticidal herb”
16th–17th Century
English
pyrethrum
“A borrowed botanical term for certain daisy-family plants”
Modern English
English
pyrethrum
“A flowering plant used for insecticidal powder or spray”