soapwort Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun plant of European origin having pink or white flowers and leaves yielding a detergent when bruised
bouncing Bess; hedge pink; Saponaria officinalis; bouncing Bet.

WordNet

Soap"wort` noun

Definitions

(Bot.) A common plant (Saponaria officinalis) of the Pink family; -- so called because its bruised leaves, when agitated in water, produce a lather like that from soap. Called also Bouncing Bet.

Webster 1913

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