centaury

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun any of various plants of the genus Centaurium
  2. noun any plant of the genus Centaurea

Etymology

From Middle English centaure, from Old English centaurie, from Medieval Latin centaurēa, centauria, from Latin centaurēum, centaurion, from Ancient Greek κενταύρειον (kentaúreion, “several plants related to Centaurea”), from κένταυρος (kéntauros, “centaur”) (due to the mythological discovery of its medicinal properties by Chiron the Centaur). Doublet of centaurea.

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