Loosestrife
noun ·2 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Any of certain flowering plants of the genera Lythrum and Lysimachia, which are in different taxonomic families. countable, uncountable
"1919, Ronald Firbank, Valmouth, Duckworth, hardback edition, page 91, He had a suit of summer mufti, and a broad-brimmed blue beaver hat looped with leaves broken from the hedgerows in the lanes, and a Leander scarf tucked full of flowers: loosestrife, meadowrue, orchis, ragged-robin."
- 2 any of various herbs and subshrubs of the genus Lysimachia wordnet
- 3 any of numerous herbs and subshrubs of the genus Lythrum wordnet
Example
More examples"1919, Ronald Firbank, Valmouth, Duckworth, hardback edition, page 91, He had a suit of summer mufti, and a broad-brimmed blue beaver hat looped with leaves broken from the hedgerows in the lanes, and a Leander scarf tucked full of flowers: loosestrife, meadowrue, orchis, ragged-robin."
Etymology
Calque of Ancient Greek λυσιμάχειον (lusimákheion), as if from λύσις (lúsis, “loosening”) + μάχη (mákhē, “battle, strife”).
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.