Comfrey

//ˈkʌm.fɹi// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any of several species of perennial herbs of the genus Symphytum, often specifically common comfrey (Symphytum officinale). countable, uncountable

    "It thrives on compost and natural fertilizers brewed from comfrey or seaweed and uses only rain, natural groundwater or wastewater purified through a system of reed beds."

  2. 2
    leaves make a popular tisane; young leaves used in salads or cooked wordnet
  3. 3
    perennial herbs of Europe and Iran; make rapidly growing groundcover for shaded areas wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
cumfreyhealing herb

Example

More examples

"It thrives on compost and natural fertilizers brewed from comfrey or seaweed and uses only rain, natural groundwater or wastewater purified through a system of reed beds."

Etymology

From Middle English cumfiria, from Latin (herba) cōnfirma in Pseudo-Apuleius, also called cōnsolida, cōnserva, cōnferva, from conferveo (“to boil together”); from the use of the plant in tea to aid in healing bones.

Related phrases

Quaker comfreyRussian comfrey

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.