purslane

views updated Jun 11 2018

purs·lane / ˈpərslən; -ˌslān/ • n. any of a number of small, typically fleshy-leaved plants (family Portulacaceae) that grow in damp habitats or waste places, in particular Portulaca oleracea, a prostrate North American plant with tiny yellow flowers.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

purslane

views updated May 14 2018

purslane herb Portulaca oleracea. XIV. ME. purcelan(e) — OF. porcelaine, identical in form with the F. word for PORCELAIN, and prob. assim. to that from L. porcil(l)āca, more usu. portulāca.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD