Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An annual plant (Lapsana communis) in the composite family, native to Eurasia and naturalized in North America, having small yellow flower heads.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A plant, Lapsana communis: so called from its remedial use. See Lapsana and cress.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) A yellow-flowered composite herb (Lampsana communis), formerly used as an external application to the nipples of women; -- called also dock-cress.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A flowering plant, Lapsana communis, that yields a milky juice

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From its former use in folk medicine to treat breast tumors.]

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Examples

  • In rougher, gloriously weedy places, I don't remember watching as many gold-banded hoverflies fiddling with the nipplewort.

    Country diary: Wenlock Edge 2011

Comments

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  • A yellow-on-yellow composite. I spotted this in Fitzroy Park in Highgate and subsequently identified it by its differing-shaped leaves as they go up the stalk.

    July 3, 2008

  • This plant has milky juice.

    May 9, 2011

  • Did you milk it?

    May 9, 2011