Word
wormwood
Phoneticsworm·wood, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈwɝmˌwʊd/
UK/wˈɜːmwʊd/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. a plant with grey-green leaves that tastes very bitter. People use it to flavour strong drinks like absinthe and in some herbal medicines.
n. a bitter, aromatic plant of the genus Artemisia, especially Artemisia absinthium, used to flavour absinthe and vermouth and in traditional herbal remedies. In literary use, refers to bitterness or a source of deep sorrow.
Examples
“This tea contains wormwood and tastes very bitter.”
“The herbalist adds dried wormwood to the mixture to give the liqueur its sharp, bitter flavour.”
“Once prized by apothecaries for its supposed power to expel intestinal parasites, wormwood now survives mainly as the defining bitterness in vermouth and as a metaphor for regret in older literature.”
Examples
simple
“This tea contains wormwood and tastes very bitter.”
contextual
“The herbalist adds dried wormwood to the mixture to give the liqueur its sharp, bitter flavour.”
complex
“Once prized by apothecaries for its supposed power to expel intestinal parasites, wormwood now survives mainly as the defining bitterness in vermouth and as a metaphor for regret in older literature.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “wormwood” in context.
Verb
01. distil wormwood
“Traditional distillers distil wormwood with anise and fennel for absinthe.”
verb + noun
02. flavour with wormwood
“The small distillery flavours its vermouth with wormwood and orange peel.”
verb + prep + noun
03. grind wormwood
“Grind wormwood finely before blending it into the herbal tincture.”
verb + noun
04. harvest wormwood
“Herbalists harvest wormwood in late summer when its oils peak.”
verb + noun
05. lace with wormwood
“The bitter liqueur is laced with wormwood and gentian root.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
06. bitter wormwood
“Bitter wormwood gives absinthe its distinctive harsh, herbal bite.”
adj + noun
07. dried wormwood
“She burned a bundle of dried wormwood to scent the small workshop.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. extract of wormwood
“The study tested a concentrated extract of wormwood against fever.”
noun + prep + noun
09. absinthe distilled from wormwood
“Traditional absinthe distilled from wormwood remains strictly regulated.”
10. bitter as wormwood
“Rejection left her feeling bitter as wormwood for months afterwards.”
11. flavoured with bitter wormwood
“The vermouth is flavoured with bitter wormwood and aromatic herbs.”
12. gall and wormwood
“His memoir is full of gall and wormwood about his years in exile.”
Real-World Examples
“Classical authorities were regularly cited as recommending the consumption of certain foods before a drinking session, with almonds, cabbage, baked quinces, wormwood (absinthe) and even the lungs of a goat being thought beneficial.” “Originally pastis was developed as a substitute for absinthe, which was banned by law many years ago because it contained wormwood, an ingredient which was, in the words of one book on herbs and spices, ''guilty of putting off an evil day to a yet more evil one.” “Arthur Rimbaud called absinthe the “sagebrush of the glaciers” because a key ingredient, the bitter-tasting herb Artemisia absinthium or wormwood, is plentiful in the icy Val-de-Travers region of Switzerland.” Etymology
From Middle English wormwode, a folk etymology (as if worm + wood) of wermode (“wormwood”), from Old English wermōd (“wormwood, absinthe”), from Proto-West Germanic *warjamōdā (“wormwood”). Cognate with Middle Low German wermode, wermede (“wormwood”), German Wermut (“wormwood”). Doublet of vermouth.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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