butterfly weed

2 definitions found

butterfly weed - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Pleurisy \Pleu"ri*sy\, n. [F. pleur['e]sie, L. pleurisis,
     pleuritis, Gr pleyri^tis (sc. no`sos), fr. pleyra` rib,
     side.] (Med.)
     An inflammation of the pleura, usually accompanied with
     fever, pain, difficult respiration, and cough, and with
     exudation into the pleural cavity.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Pleurisy root. (Bot.)
     (a) The large tuberous root of a kind of milkweed (Asclepias   tuberosa
         ) which is used as a remedy for pleuritic and
         other diseases.
     (b) The plant itself, which has deep orange-colored flowers;
         -- called also butterfly weed.
         [1913 Webster]

butterfly weed - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  butterfly weed
      n 1: erect perennial of eastern and southern United States
           having showy orange flowers [syn: butterfly weed, orange milkweed
           , chigger flower, chiggerflower, pleurisy root
           , tuber root, Indian paintbrush, Asclepias tuberosa
           ]