dandelion
/ˈdandɪlʌɪən
/noun
A widely distributed weed of the daisy family, with a rosette of leaves and large bright yellow flowers followed by globular heads of seeds with downy tufts.
- Genus Taraxacum, family Compositae: several species, in particular T. officinale, which has edible leaves.
- True to Chris's intentions, the two acre garden is fresh with scent and the colours of cowslips and foxgloves, daffodils and dandelions.
- Tough, old dandelions and some other weeds at times require two treatments.
Origin
Late Middle English: from French dent-de-lion, translation of medieval Latin dens leonis 'lion's tooth' (because of the jagged shape of the leaves).
The toothed leaves of the dandelion explain the origin of its name. French dent-de-lion means ‘lion's tooth’. The name came into English in the late Middle Ages. The usual term for the flower in French is now pissenlit, which has a parallel in English pissabed (mid 16th century), another name for the dandelion. The plant was formerly well known for its diuretic properties.