Herb. Obs. [From supposed healing virtues.] The name of one or two different plants, esp. the Common Daisy. Cf. bonewort.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., I. 374. Wið lungen adle ʓenim … and bryse wyrt and brun wyrt.
a. 1450. Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.), 45. Consolida minor … waysegle, uel bonwort, uel brosewort.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, in Babees Bk. (1868), 184. Brese-wort … is good for ache.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, cxciii. § 7. 512. The Daisie is called … in English Daisies and Bruise woort.
1611. Cotgr., Marguerite des prez, th’ ordinarie, little, white and wild Daisie, called (otherwise) Bruisewort.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), I. Bruise wort, consolida.
1830. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 7), II. 537. S[aponaria] officinalis, Soapwort, Bruisewort.
