any of various temperate scrophulariaceous plants of the genus Veronica, such as V. officinalis (heath speedwell) and V. chamaedrys (germander speedwell), having small blue or pinkish white flowers
Word origin
C16: from speed + well1
speedwell in American English
(ˈspidˌwɛl)
noun
any of a genus (Veronica) of plants of the figwort family, with white or bluish flower spikes
Word origin
< speed, v. + well2: orig. sense prob. “prosper well”