devil's bit

See also: devil's-bit

English

sense 2: devil's bit (Chamaelirium luteum)

Alternative forms

Etymology

Calque of Latin morsus diaboli.

Noun

devil's bit

  1. A plant of species Succisa pratensis, native to Europe.
    Synonym: devil's bit scabious
  3. A plant of species Chamaelirium luteum, native to North America.
    Synonym: blazing star
    • 2014, Steven Foster, James A. Duke, Peterson Field Guide to Medical Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 100:
      A folk notion held that if corn kernels were steeped in Devil's-bit tea for 24 hours before sowing, birds would not eat them.

Translations

References

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