Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

usnea

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.24 in modern English

Syllables: us-nea
IPA

5

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any lichen of the genus Usnea.

Example Sentences

"The plantlike result of a symbiotic association between algae and fungi, usnea lichen is an important and versatile natural medicine that demands a place in these pages."
"In Latin the various species of usnea are called Usnea barbata, U. longissima, U. hirta, U. florida, U. ceratina, and U. dasypoga. Because of its appearance the common name for usnea is Old Man's Beard. The Dakota called usnea Chan wiziye."
"Another powerful herb with antibiotic, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, usnea is used internally or externally against bacterial, fungal, or viral infections. Usnea is often combined with spilanthes or echinacea."

Etymology

Borrowed from translingual Usnea, from Arabic أُشْنَة (ʔušna, “moss”).

Inflected Forms

usneas (plural) usneae (plural)

Derived Forms

usneoid

Synonyms

old man's beard

Questions

What does usnea mean?: Any lichen of the genus Usnea.
Where does usnea come from?: Borrowed from translingual Usnea, from Arabic أُشْنَة (ʔušna, “moss”).

How to pronounce usnea

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