n. See scabious2. [New Latin Scabiōsa, genus name, from Medieval Latin (herba) scabiōsa, (herb) for scabies, scabious (so called because scabious was formerly thought effective in treating itchy, scurfy skin diseases ), feminine of Latin scabiōsus, mangy, from scabiēs, itch; see SCABIES.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.