Jupiter's beard

English

Etymology

Calque of Latin barba Iovis.

Noun

Jupiter's beard (uncountable)

  1. A common name for various plants:
    1. The red valerian, Centranthus ruber
    2. (obsolete) Aster linosyris, a European plant with yellow flowers.
    3. The silverbush, Anthyllis barba-jovis, a European shrub with silvery leaves.
    4. The common houseleek, Sempervivum tectorum.
      • 1658: Thus […] nature […] somewhat after this manner hath ordered the bush in Jupiters beard, or houseleek; which old superstition set on the tops of houses, as a defensative against lightening, and thunder. — Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus (Folio Society 2007, p. 181)
    5. A white-edged fungus, Hyphodontia barba-jovis.

References
  • OED, 3rd edition
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.