Meaning
An annual herb, of species Lamium amplexicaule, with pink or purple flowers and deeply crenate leaves.
Etymology
Origin: Latin
Calque of Dutch hoenderbeet. By surface analysis, hen + bit (past participle of bite; bitten). First attested in 1578. Cognate with Middle Low German hennebit and German Hühnerbiss; all likely derived from Medieval Latin Morsus gallinae, the ancestor of Italian mordigallina, French morgeline and obsolete English margeline. See also chickweed.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
henbit deadnettlecommon henbitgreater henbit
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020.