chelone

1 of 2

noun

che·lo·ne

keˈlōnē

capitalized : a small genus of perennial herbs (family Scrophulariaceae) of the eastern U.S. having serrate leaves and large white or purple flowers in nearly sessile spikes

plural -s : any plant of the genus Chelone

called also turtlehead

Chelone

2 of 2

taxonomic synonym of chelonia:2

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from New Latin (Linnaeus), borrowed from Greek chelṓnē "tortoise, land turtle," derivative from a base chel-y- (whence chélȳs "tortoise"), perhaps going back to Indo-European *gheluH- or *ghelH-u-, whence Church Slavic (eastern) žely, genitive želŭve "tortoise," Polish żółw, Slovene žêlva

borrowed from New Latin, borrowed from Greek chelṓnē "tortoise, land turtle"