What does "aaron's rod" mean?

Any of various plants with a tall flowering stem, especially:; Verbascum thapsus, the great mullein, common mullein, or hag-taper.

How do you pronounce "aaron's rod"?

Pronounced //ˈɛəɹ.ənz ɹɒd//.

Aaron's rod

Q: What is a synonym for "aaron's rod"?

Common synonyms include: common mullein, flannel mullein, great mullein, torch, verbascum thapsus, woolly mullein.

/ˈɛəɹ.ənz ɹɒd/ noun, slang

noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Usage: "Aaron's rod" is primarily used as a noun. Its central meaning — a rod-shaped molding decorated with an entwined snake, and sometimes leaves, vines, and/or scrolls — makes it most effective in contexts where precision matters over a more general alternative.

Origin: A reference to Numbers 17:8, the Authorized / KJV translation of which is "And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds." (spelling modernized).

Watch out: Because "Aaron's rod" carries multiple meanings across different parts of speech, writers sometimes use it where a more specific word like "torch" would be clearer. Check that your intended sense is unmistakable from context.

Definitions

Noun

1
Any of various plants with a tall flowering stem, especially:; Verbascum thapsus, the great mullein, common mullein, or hag-taper. countable, uncountable
2
tall-stalked very woolly mullein with densely packed yellow flowers; ancient Greeks and Romans dipped the stalks in tallow for funeral torches wordnet
3
Any of various plants with a tall flowering stem, especially:; Goldenrod, the Solidago genus of North American plants with yellow flowers. countable, uncountable
4
Any of various plants with a tall flowering stem, especially:; Hylotelephium telephium (syn. Sedum telephium; orpine, livelong, or live-forever). countable, uncountable
5
A rod-shaped molding decorated with an entwined snake, and sometimes leaves, vines, and/or scrolls. countable, uncountable

Show 2 more definitions

6
A rod with one serpent twined around it, as used by Aaron (differing from the caduceus of Mercury, which has two serpents). archaic, countable, uncountable
7
The penis. countable, dated, slang, uncommon, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms

common mullein flannel mullein great mullein torch verbascum thapsus woolly mullein

Etymology

A reference to Numbers 17:8, the Authorized / KJV translation of which is "And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds." (spelling modernized).

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