Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shepherd's purse

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.87 in modern English

Syllables: shep-herd's purse
IPA

25

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An edible weed, Capsella bursa-pastoris, family Brassicaceae, native to Europe but now found world-wide.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"To him that hath a flux, of Sheepheards purse he gives"
"Stewed nettles; savoury messes of chickweed sprinkled with nutmeg; he cooks the foliage of shepherd's purse as if it were cabbage."

Etymology

Alluding to the shape of its seed vessel. Compare mediaeval Latin bursa pastoris, French bourse-à-berger, German Hirtentasche.

Usage

Uncountable

Synonyms

shepherd's pouch capsella bursa-pastoris

Questions

What does shepherd's purse mean?: An edible weed, Capsella bursa-pastoris, family Brassicaceae, native to Europe but now found world-wide.
Where does shepherd's purse come from?: Alluding to the shape of its seed vessel. Compare mediaeval Latin bursa pastoris, French bourse-à-berger, German Hirtentasche.

How to pronounce shepherd's purse

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