agnus castus

noun

ag·​nus cas·​tus
¦ag-nəs-ˈka-stəs
plural agnus castuses
1
: chaste tree sense 1
2
: an extract of the fruit of the chaste tree used in herbal medicine : chaste tree sense 2
In one trial, 48 women (aged between 23 and 29) diagnosed with infertility took agnus castus once daily for three months.—Marilyn Glenville, Boost Your Fertility, 2009

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin, literally "chaste agnus" (by association of the plant name with Greek hagnós "pure, chaste"), going back to Latin agnos, agnus, borrowed from Greek ágnos

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agnus castus was in the 14th century

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near agnus castus

agnus

agnus castus

Agnus Dei

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Agnus castus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agnus%20castus. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...