Vetiver

//ˈvɛtɪvɚ// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The grass Chrysopogon zizanioides (synonym Vetiveria zizanioides), which is native to India, but planted throughout the tropics for its fragrant roots and for erosion control. countable, uncountable

    "Two types of vetiver have been found in India – (i) flowering or seeding vetiver which grows wild in North India, and (ii) non-flowering or non-seeding vetiver which is cultivated in South India."

  2. 2
    The aromatic root of the grass. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    An essential oil derived from the root; the fragrance of the oil. countable, uncountable

    "She pressed his hand and was gone in a mist of vetiver, abruptly as the other evening."

Synonyms

All synonyms
cuscuskhus

Example

More examples

"Two types of vetiver have been found in India – (i) flowering or seeding vetiver which grows wild in North India, and (ii) non-flowering or non-seeding vetiver which is cultivated in South India."

Etymology

From French vétyver (older spelling) or vétiver, from Tamil வெட்டிவேர் (veṭṭivēr).

Related phrases

chrysopogon zizanioidesessential oil

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