borage

noun

bor·age ˈbȯr-ij

ˈbär-

: a hardy, annual, prickly, European herb (Borago officinalis of the family Boraginaceae, the borage family) with star-shaped blue flowers that is widely naturalized as a weed and has leaves used as remedies in herbal medicine and also as food especially in salads or cooked as a vegetable

Examples of borage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nasturtium, calendula, viola, borage, and pansies are beautiful and edible. —

Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2024 But the property remained a working farm, with hundreds of acres planted in borage and rapeseed. —

Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024 Planting borage and basil near tomatoes enhances the pest-repelling properties of both plant companions. —

Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2024 Attracting bees and butterflies to the squash blossom blooms on zucchini is critical to a healthy plant, and planting borage around your garden helps bring in those insects. —

Heather Bien, Southern Living, 3 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for borage

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'borage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French bourage, from Medieval Latin borrago, probably from Arabic dialect *būʽaraq, alteration of Arabic abū ʽaraq, literally, source of sweat; from its use as a diaphoretic

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of borage was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century