Bouncing Bess (Noun)
Meaning
Plant of European origin having pink or white flowers and leaves yielding a detergent when bruised.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The bouquet featured a few stems of bouncing bess for its delicate beauty and fragrance.
- Bouncing bess was a common ingredient in homemade soap recipes during the Renaissance period.
- Her grandmother used to make soap by mixing ashes with the leaves of the bouncing bess plant.
- In some regions of Europe, bouncing bess leaves were crushed to create a delicate laundry detergent.
- Early settlers in North America found bouncing bess to be an effective plant-based alternative for cleaning purposes.