calamint

noun

cal·​a·​mint ˈka-lə-ˌmint How to pronounce calamint (audio)
: any of a genus (Calamintha synonym Satureja, especially C. nepeta) of Eurasian perennial mints

Examples of calamint in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One of her favorites to tuck around natives is nonnative perennial calamint Calamintha nepeta. Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5 May 2022 Other guides include lenten rose, peony, redbud, azalea, elephant ear, lantana, coneflower, savory calamint and rudbeckia. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2021 For generations, the Sireci family has grown high-altitude indigenous Sicilian grapes, including Nero D'Avola, which has notes of calamint, eucalyptus, and incense, all herbs that grow in the wild on the island. Valentina Di Donato, Forbes, 25 June 2021 But this spring, just as Americans began to hunker down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rare blue bees, known scientifically as Osmia calaminthae, were rediscovered in the same region foraging on Ashe's calamint, a dainty violet flower that blooms in certain scrub habitats. Jonathan Kendall, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 May 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle English calament, from Anglo-French calamente, from Medieval Latin calamentum, from Greek kalaminthē

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of calamint was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Calamint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamint. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!