What does "pyrethrum" mean?

Any of several daisy-like perennial African plants of the genus Tanacetum, especially Tanacetum cinerariifolium.

How do you pronounce "pyrethrum"?

Pronounced //paɪˈɹiθɹəm//.

Common synonyms include: bertram, chrysanthemum cinerariifolium, chrysanthemum coccineum, dalmatia pyrethrum, dalmatian pyrethrum, genus pyrethrum.

//paɪˈɹiθɹəm// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Any of several daisy-like perennial African plants of the genus Tanacetum, especially Tanacetum cinerariifolium. countable, uncountable
"A common beverage credited with aphrodisiac virtue was old wine containing the pungent root of the plant pyrethrum or pellitory."
2
spring-flowering garden perennial of Asiatic origin having finely divided aromatic leaves and white to pink-purple flowers; source of an insecticide; sometimes placed in genus Chrysanthemum wordnet
3
Anacyclus pyrethrum (pellitory of Spain) countable, uncountable
4
white-flowered pyrethrum of Balkan area whose pinnate leaves are white and silky-hairy below; source of an insecticide; sometimes placed in genus Chrysanthemum wordnet
5
Any of several insecticides obtained from these plants; pyrethrin. countable, uncountable

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"A common beverage credited with aphrodisiac virtue was old wine containing the pungent root of the plant pyrethrum or pellitory."

From Old English pyretre, from (and later reformed after) Latin pyrethrum (in Pliny), from Hellenistic Ancient Greek πύρεθρον (púrethron).

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