mullein

Alternative forms

• mullen

Etymology

14th century; Middle English moleyne, from Anglo-Norman moleine, from mol ‘soft’. The name evokes the plant's fluffy, downy leaves, also apparent in synonyms, such as feltwort, flannel leaf, and velvet plant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmʌlɨn/

Noun

mullein (usually uncountable, plural mulleins)

1. Any of several European and Asian plants, of the genus Verbascum, that have yellow flowers and downy leaves; the velvet plant.