moonwort

noun — 2 senses

noun

UK /ˈmuːnwəːt/

Etymology From moon + wort.

A small fern, Botrychium lunaria (lesser moonwort); later, any member of the genus.

Moonwort is an herb which they say will open locks, and unshoe such horses as tread upon it.1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society, published 2007, page 194:

UK, US, Regional Lunaria annua (greater moonwort); also known as honesty and annual honesty.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.