pimpernel

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun European garden herb with purple-tinged flowers and leaves that are sometimes used for salads
  2. noun any of several plants of the genus Anagallis

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman pimpernele et al., Middle French pimpinelle (“burnet saxifrage”) et al., from Medieval Latin pimpinella, pipinella, most likely from piper (“pepper”) because its fruit resembled peppercorns, although variants may suggest other derivations, bipinnella the bipennis (“two-winged”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

salad burnet, burnet bloodwort, Poterium sanguisorba

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