foxglove
UK[ˈfɒksɡlʌv]US[ˈfɑːksɡlʌv]
n
a tall plant with purple or white flowers shaped like bells growing up its stem.
n
the dried leaves of this plant, used as a source of digitalis, a drug that stimulates the heart.
Etymology
the name 'foxglove' is a folk etymology, originating in old english as 'foxes glōfa', literally meaning "fox's glove." the logic behind this name is obscure and likely fanciful; one popular theory suggests the flowers were imagined as gloves fitting the paws of foxes, while another connects it to the older name 'folksglove', associating it with fairy folk. the plant's modern scientific genus, digitalis, derives from the latin 'digitus' (finger), alluding to the flower's shape fitting a human fingertip, a more logical descriptor than its common name. thus, 'foxglove' stands as a charming example of how common names for plants often arise from imaginative association rather than literal description.
Analysis
the word is a compound of two old english elements: 'fox' and 'glōf' (glove). it is considered unsegmentable in the context of modern english morpheme analysis because its meaning is not compositional from its parts in a transparent way.
Examples
the woodland clearing was filled with the tall, purple spikes of foxglove.
digitalis, a vital heart medication, is derived from the leaves of the foxglove plant.
she wore a dress patterned with delicate foxgloves and other wildflowers.