woodruff

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈwʊdrʌf/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(wŏŏd′rəf, -ruf′)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
wood•ruff  (wŏŏd′rəf, -ruf′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Plant Biologyany of several plants belonging to the genus Asperula or Galium, of the madder family, as G. odoratum (sweet woodruff,) a fragrant plant with small white flowers.
  • bef. 1000; Middle English woderove, Old English wudurofe, wudurife, equivalent. to wudu wood1 + -rofe, -rife, element of uncertain meaning; compare German Rübe carrot

Wood•ruff  (wŏŏd′rəf ),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Biographical Hiram, 1817–67, Canadian driver, trainer, and breeder of harness-racing horses.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
woodruff / ˈwʊdrʌf/
  1. any of several rubiaceous plants of the genus Galium, esp G. odoratum (sweet woodruff), of Eurasia, which has small sweet-scented white flowers and whorls of narrow fragrant leaves used to flavour wine and liqueurs and in perfumery
Etymology: Old English wudurofe, from wood1 + rōfe, related to Old High German ruoba, Middle Low German rōve (beet)root, Latin rēpere to creep
'woodruff' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
May wine - Richards - Woodruff key - dyer's woodruff - keyslot - sweet woodruff

Forum discussions with the word(s) "woodruff" in the title:


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