agnus castus

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἄγνος (ágnos), confused with ἁγνός (hagnós, “chaste”) + by reinforcement Latin castus (“chaste”).

Noun

agnus castus (plural agnus castuses)

  1. A tree, Vitex agnus-castus, formerly believed to preserve chastity.
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
      , II.4.1.iii, 1813, Volume 2, page 94:
      […] some herbs provoke lust; some again, as agnus castus, waterlilly, quite extinguish seed  […] .

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