What does "spurge" mean?
Any plant of the genus Euphorbia, a diverse genus of over 2,000 species.
Spurge
/spɜːdʒ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any plant of the genus Euphorbia, a diverse genus of over 2,000 species.
- Grammar: spurge is listed as noun, verb.
- Usage evidence: But cockle, spurge, according to their law / Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, / You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove.
How to use "spurge"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "spurge" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any plant of the genus Euphorbia, a diverse genus of over 2,000 species. uncountable, usually
"But cockle, spurge, according to their law / Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, / You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove."
- 2 any of numerous plants of the genus Euphorbia; usually having milky often poisonous juice wordnet
- 3 Any plant of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. uncountable, usually
- 4 A plant resembling those in genus Euphorbia in some aspect of its appearance. uncountable, usually
Verb
- 1 To emit foam; to froth; said of the emission of yeast from beer during fermentation. intransitive
"The body's somthing noysome: 'tis a stale one; / Good troth it spurgeth very monstrously."
Example
"But cockle, spurge, according to their law / Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, / You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove."
Common questions
How do you use "spurge" in a sentence?
But cockle, spurge, according to their law / Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, / You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove.
How do you pronounce "spurge"?
Pronounced /spɜːdʒ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Etymology tree Old French espurgebor. Middle English spurge English spurge Inherited from Middle English spurge, from Old French espurge, from espurgier (“to purge”), from Latin expurgo (“I purge”); the bitter milky sap of these plants was formerly used as a purgative.
Etymology 2
Uncertain, but likely closely related to etymology 1, thus a doublet of purge.