nepenthes
Noun
- pitcher plants
- A drug mentioned in Homer's Odyssey (c. 8th century B.C.E.) as bringing relief from anxiety or grief; hence, any drug or substance seen as bringing welcome forgetfulness or relief.
- A Southeast Asian carnivorous plant of the genus Nepenthes; a monkey cup or tropical pitcher plant.
- plural of nepenthe.
Origin / Etymology
Borrowed from Latin nēpenthes (“a drug bringing relief from grief”), from Ancient Greek νηπενθές (nēpenthés), neuter of νηπενθής (nēpenthḗs, “sorrow-banishing”), from νη- (nē-, “not”) + πένθος (pénthos, “grief”) (from πάσχειν (páskhein), present active infinitive of πάσχω (páskhō, “to be ill or injured in a certain way; to suffer”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷendʰ- (“to endure, to suffer”)). Compare French népenthès (“a plant from which a drug supposedly bringing relief from grief may be obtained; such a drug”).
Synonyms
genus Nepenthes, monkey cup, nepenths
Scrabble Score: 14
nepenthes is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordnepenthes is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
nepenthes is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary