cohosh

English

Caulophyllum thalictroides

Actaea racemosa

Etymology

From an Algonquian word meaning "rough", probably Eastern Abenaki / Penobscot *kkwὰhas. Compare Massachusett kushki (“(it is) rough”). Compare English cocash.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kəˈhɒʃ/
Rhymes: -ɒʃ

Noun

cohosh (countable and uncountable, plural cohoshes)

A perennial American herb (Caulophyllum thalictroides), the rough rootstock of which is used in medicine.
A smooth herb, Actaea racemosa, marketed for medicinal use.

Synonyms

(Caulophyllum thalictroides): blue cohosh, squaw root, papoose root
(Actaea racemosa): Cimicifuga racemosa, black cohosh, black bugbane, black snakeroot, fairy candle

Further reading

Caulophyllum thalictroides on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Caulophyllum thalictroides on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
Actaea racemosa on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Actaea racemosa on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.