Spleenwort
/ˈspliːn.wɜːt/noun
Any of several ferns in the genus Asplenium, traditionally associated with the spleen in old herbal medicine.
Did you know?The name is tied to the ancient doctrine of signatures: people believed a plant’s shape or name could reveal the organ it was meant to cure, so spleenwort became a classic “plant as medicine-sign” word.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
GRK
asplēnion
“a fern believed to be good for the spleen”
Latin
LAT
asplēnium
“the same fern name, borrowed from Greek”
Old English
ENG
spleenwyrt
“spleen plant; a medicinal herb associated with the spleen”
Middle English
ENG
splenewort
“a fern or herb thought useful for disorders of the spleen”
Modern English
ENG
spleenwort
“a fern of the genus Asplenium”