(a) Any plant or herb; an uncultivated grass, root, or vegetable; also, a wild plant, herb, etc. used as food; wortes of herbes (grasses, grenes); (b) a cultivated plant, garden plant;—also coll. & pl.; a pot or kitchen herb, plant grown for the table; specif. cabbage or another member of the genus Brassica [occas. difficult to distinguish from (c) and vice versa]; (c) a medicinal herb, plant, or part of a plant; wortes wortrume (wort-wale, wose), the root or extract of an herb; (d) chiefly pl. prepared greens; a dish of cooked greens or vegetables; also fig.; caboche(s wortes, a dish of cooked cabbage; (e) = wortrume n. (c) or wort-wale n. (a) used fig.; (f) in proverbs and conventional comparisons.

In cpds. and combs.: (a) ~ imang [OE wyrt-gemang], a mixture of herbs or fragrant plants; ~ lef (stok), wortes stokkes, a leaf (stock, stems) of a cabbage or similar plant; also, glossing L mandarus [quot. c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.]; ~ plaunte, an herb or a vegetable plant; ~ rume, ~ wale, q.v.; (b) ~ bed [OE wyrt-bedd], an herb garden, a kitchen garden; ?~ erd, = ~ yerd; ~ toun [OE wyrt-tūn], an enclosed field; a vegetable garden; ~ yerd [OE wyrt-geard], a kitchen garden, garden plot; also in fig. context; (c) ~ croppere, a grass nibbler;—used as a name for the hare; ~ sellere, one who sells vegetables or herbs; ~ worm, a worm, weevil, or larva that feeds on plants; specif. a cabbageworm; (d) ~ cok, some sort of customary payment, perh. a cock of dried grass, bale or rick of hay.

In names or designations of plants, freq. variously identified and often difficult to assign to a single species [for others, chiefly those with uncertain 1st elements, see Tony Hunt Plant Names of Medieval England (1989), passim]: (a) ~ col, cabbage or a similar vegetable [cp. col ~]; æsc-þrote-vyrt, æðelferthing-wyrt, alf ~, ara ~, bai ~, bale ~, q.v.; ballok ~, ?an orchid of some kind; belle ~, any of several plants, prob. including bellflower or a similar plant of the genus Campanula, lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis, and some species of rue, perh. Ruta graveolens; ber ~, be ~, q.v.; bishop(es ~, q.v.; also, = bitter ~; bitter ~, any of a number of unrelated plants including stinking chamomile Anthemis cotula, water pepper Polygonum hydropiper, dandelion Taraxacum officinale, some species of hellebore, and perh. wall pellitory Parietaria diffusa; blod ~, shepherd’s purse Capsella bursa pastoris; blo ~, prob. cornflower Centaurea cyanus; bon ~, bour-wurt, brid ~, brise ~, q.v.; muche brise ~, ?comfrey; brok-moder ~, the European brooklime Veronica beccabunga; brother ~, q.v.; broun sour ~, betony Betonica officinalis; broun ~ [OE brūn-wyrt], any of several plants: ?the whortleberry; ?spleenwort [see also broun adj. 4.(b)]; brust ~, q.v.; canker ~, ?gromwell Lithospermum officinale; ?hog’s fennel Peucedanum officinale; ?sow thistle Sonchus oleraceus; caul ~, a member of the genus Brassica, perh. kale or cabbage [cp. col ~]; red (wilde) caul ~; (b) chiken ~, ?chickweed Stellaria media; chirche ~, ?pennyroyal Mentha pulegium; clere ~, q.v.; clif ~ [OE clif-wyrt], a plant of the genus Agrimonia, perh. Agrimonia eupatoria; clof-wurt [s.v. clof-þung n.]; cok-crou wortes, q.v.; col ~, a member of the genus Brassica, prob. kale or cabbage [see also col n.(1) 2.(c); cp. caul ~]; coth ~, q.v.; crepel(es ~, ?= broun ~; crois (cros) ~, crosswort Galium cruciata; curvet ~, ?= *cirfet ~ [cp. OE cyrfæt], bryony, the wild gourd; douve ~, ?columbine Aquilegia vulgaris; do ~ [s.v. do-weche n.]; drop ~, q.v.; elf-ring ~, ?oxeye daisy; ?comfrey [cp. wringinge ~]; ellen-wyrt, q.v.; elme ~, tormentil Potentilla erecta [cp. gelod ~]; ep ~, ere ~, ers ~, fan wurt, q.v.; feld ~ [OE feld-wyrt], a native British species of gentian; also, = felt ~; felt ~ [OE felt-wyrt], the great mullein Verbascum thapsus [see also felt n. 2.]; ?also, common centaury Centaury umbellatum; fleather vyrt, q.v.; flegh ~, any of several plants [see quots. and also flegh-wort n.]; flet ~, q.v.; flex ~, toadflax Linaria vulgaris; ?also, erroneously for chickweed Stellaria media or = flegh ~; flote ~, some kind of seaweed [cp. flet-wort n.]; ?also, birthwort (genus Aristolochia); (c) frensh ~, some member of the genus Brassica, prob. a cultivated variety; red (whit) frensh ~; gelod (lod) ~ [OE gelod-wyrt], a yellow-flowering plant, prob. silverweed Potentilla anserina or common tormentil Potentilla erecta; glove ~, lily of the valley Convallaria majalis or some species of bugloss or borage; gold ~, any of several plants, including pot marigold Calendula officinalis or lily of the valley Convallaria majalis; gret kne ~, ?bistort Polygonum bistorta; (gret) snail ~, some sort of gourd, perh. white bryony Bryonia dioica or cucumber Cucumis sativus; gret ~, gris worte, q.v.; hali ~ [see also hali-wort n.]; hals ~, q.v.; hare ~, ?garden cress Lepidium sativum; hasel ~, ?the blueberry; ?the violet; also, ?colt’s foot Tussilago farfara; hei ~, chickweed Stellaria media; hemer ~ [see also hemer-wort n.]; hen-bane ~, henbane Hyoscyamus niger; herde ~, a plant of the genus Centaurium, prob. common centaury Centaurium umbellatum; herte ~ [see also herte n. 1d.(d)]; heth ~, ?wall pellitory Parietaria officinalis; hil ~, hor ~, q.v.; ished ~ [OE gescād-wyrt], ?mullein Verbascum thapsus; ?oxeye daisy Chrysanthemum leucanthemum; i ~, q.v.; kenning ~, the greater celandine Chelidonium majus;—confused in quot. with scarlet pimpernel Anagalus arvensis; kinges ~, knit ~, q.v.; knoppe ~, knapweed (Centaura nigra or Centaura scabiosa); knotte ~, a low-growing bushy plant of some sort; ?knotgrass; (d) laver ~, wild or yellow iris Iris pseudacorus; leche ~ [OE lǣce-wyrt], any plant or herb used medicinally, ?quinquenervia; litel ~, = hemer ~; lith ~, liver ~, lode ~, q.v.; lod ~ [see gelod ~]; long ~, q.v.; long wortes, prob. uncut greens or perh. unminced herbs [cp. lov-ache n. (b)]; louse ~, stavesacre Delphinium staphisagria; love ~, valerian (Valeriana officinalis); mad ~, a plant of the genus Solanum, some variety of nightshade; maithe ~, stinking chamomile Anthemis cotula; ?also, crisped mallow Malva crispa or a kind of geranium; mai ~, crosswort Galium cruciata; mat ~, mede ~, q.v.; mesel ~, lady’s mantle Alchemilla vulgaris; milk ~, a plant of the genus Euphorbia, spurge, ?lettuce; ?milte ~, ?scolopendria, spleenwort [cp. EMnE milt-wort n.]; moder ~, q.v.; moleine ~, mullein Verbascum thapsus; mone ~, ?moonwort Botrychium lunaria; muchel ~, some variety of nightshade or hellebore; ?= muche ~; muche ~, some variety of hellebore, perh. black hellebore Helleborus niger or bearsfoot (Helleborus foetidus or >Helleborus viridis); mug ~, naddre ~, q.v.; nail ~, ?the heath violet Viola canina [cp. ungle ~]; navele ~, navelwort Cotyledon umbilicus; nedle ~, rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis; (e) pap ~, peni ~, q.v.; peper ~, ?a plant of the genus Origanum, prob. dittany Origanum dictamnus; ?a plant of the genus Lepidium, perh. peppergrass (Lepidium virginicum or Lepidum latifolium); pile ~, q.v.; pote ~, some sort of gourd, prob. white bryony Bryonia dioica or cucumber Cucumis sativus; purse ~, the common shepherd’s purse Capsella bursa pastoris; raggede ~, ?= rag ~; rag ~, red ~, q.v.; renninge ~, a thistle or teasel of some sort, perh. wild teasel Dipsacus silvestris or stemless thistle Cirsium acaulon; ribbe ~ [see also rib(be n.(2) (b)]; rode ~ [see rode n.(2) (b)]; sat ~, scab ~, q.v.; sclice ~, ?sweet flag Acorus calamus or some similar plant, perh. of the Iris family, with slender pointed leaves; seinte jon (jones, osith) ~ [see seint(e adj. 4. (b)]; seinte marie ~, prob. alecost, costmary Chrysanthemum balsamita; seter ~, a plant of the genus Helleborus, prob. bear’s foot; ?also, the Christmas rose; shaue ~, the common fumitory Fumaria officinalis; shot ~, the greater stitchwort Stellaria holostea; sikel ~, prob. the scarlet pimpernel Anagallis arvensis; simon ~, sanguinary, shepherd’s purse Capsella bursa pastoris; sitheren ~, q.v.; siwaris ~, the European sanicle Sanicula europaea [?from se n.(1) & ware n.(1) or seuer n.]; slepinge ~, a plant with soporific properties, perh. garden lettuce Lactuca sativa; ?= slep ~; slep ~, lettuce (Lactuca serriola or Lactuca virosa); slog ~, q.v.; smal ~, chickweed Stellaria media; smere ~, q.v.; smeringe ~, curled mallow Malva crispa; softe ~, ?the deadly carrot Thapsia garganica, also called ‘smooth thapsia’;—perh. by confusion with mullein; south ~, southernwood Artemisia abrotanum; (f) spere ~, q.v.; spering ~, prob. = spere ~ or spring ~; spring ~ [OE spring-wyrt], prob. the wild caper or caper spurge Euphorbia lathyris; stab ~, the plant Salvia verbenaca;—?perh. erroneously for stub ~; standel ~, some species of orchid, perh. the early purple orchid Orchis mascula; staunche ~, ?sanguinary, shepherd’s purse Capsella bursa pastoris; ?wild charlock or wild mustard Sinapis arvensis or wild radish Raphanus raphanistrum; sterre ~, a plant of the genus Stellaria, prob. the European stitchwort Stellaria holostea; lesse sterre ~, ?the lesser stitchwort Stellaria graminea; stevene ~, ?wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella; ?= stub ~; stiche ~ [see stich(e n.(1) (d)]; ston ~, the dropwort Spiraea filipendula; stub ~, q.v.; swete ~, ?a fragrant plant or herb, specif. hemp agrimony Eupator cannabinum or maidenhair fern or salvia; taper ~, mullein Verbascum thapsus [cp. OE candel-wyrt]; tesel ~, ?a plant of the genus Lupinus; ?a kind of hellebore [but cp. tesel n.]; teter ~, the greater celandine Chelidonium majus; toth ~, shepherd’s purse Capsella bursa pastoris; tunsing-wurt, q.v.; unfortredde ~, a plant able to grow in well-trodden places, prob. knotgrass Polygonum aviculare; ungle ~, = nail ~; vare-wurt, wal ~, wart ~, q.v.; water ~ [OE wæter-wyrt], maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus or Asplenium trichomanes); wei ~, wen-wurt, q.v.; whit ~, some plant of the genus Brassica, prob. a cultivated form such as cabbage, kale, rape, or a similar vegetable [cp. frensh ~]; also, ?feverfew Chrysanthemum parthenium [quot. a1500 MS.Hrl.3388, 1st]; wilde ~, any of several unrelated plants: wild radish Raphanus raphanistrum, white charlock; also, wild cabbage Brassica oleracea or wild mustard Sinapis arvensis; also, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, ?scabwort or stubwort or clary (Salvia sclarea or Salvia verbenaca); wode ~, q.v.; wommanes mede ~, womman moder ~, prob. the common winter cress Barbarea vulgaris; wringinge ~ [see wringing(e ger. 4.].

Pl. ?Error for wormes, pl. of worm n. [in transl. of L centipeda].

(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.282].