Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

centaury

noun
cen·​tau·​ry | \ ˈsen-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce centaury (audio) \
plural centauries

Definition of centaury

: any of a genus (Centaurium) of low herbs of the gentian family especially : an Old World herb (C. crythraea synonym C. umbellatum) that produces pink flowers and is used in herbal medicine

First Known Use of centaury

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for centaury

Middle English centaure, from Anglo-French centorie, from Medieval Latin centaurea, from Latin centaureum, from Greek kentaureion, from Kentauros

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about centaury

Statistics for centaury

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for centaury

The first known use of centaury was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

More from Merriam-Webster on centaury

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with centaury

Comments on centaury

What made you want to look up centaury? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

magniloquent

Listen to the pronounciation of magniloquent

grandiloquent, ostentatious, or bombastic

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Original Meanings Quiz

  • rembrandt-painting-a-young-scholar-and-his-tutor
  • Which of the following is the earliest known sense of the word awe?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games