Sweet Fern (Noun)
Meaning 1
Mat-forming lithophytic or terrestrial fern with creeping rootstocks and large pinnatifid fronds found throughout North America and Europe and Africa and east Asia.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The sweet fern was known to add flavor as a spice and herbal tea ingredient in many cultures throughout history.
- Sweet fern was commonly used by early American colonists to flavor various foods and beverages.
- After a short hike the group came across a lush carpet of sweet fern that provided a comfortable resting spot.
- For centuries, the indigenous people have used the aromatic leaves of the sweet fern in traditional ceremonies.
- Native Americans often drank sweet fern tea to relieve various ailments, including colds, fever, and cough.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Deciduous shrub of eastern North America with sweet scented fernlike leaves and tiny white flowers.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- Walking along the woodland trail, she noticed the sweet fern growing beside a babbling brook.
- The sweet fern in her garden provided a fragrant hiding place for rabbits and small birds.
- Sweet fern is often mistaken for a true fern due to its delicate, fern-like foliage.
- Local herbalists have long prized the sweet fern for its medicinal properties and tea-like flavor.
- During her hike through the deciduous forest, she came across a clearing filled with an abundant growth of sweet fern.