variants
or less commonly mullen
: any of a genus (Verbascum) of usually woolly-leaved Eurasian herbs of the snapdragon family including some that are naturalized in North America
Examples of mullein in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An example from the 12th-century English compendium of animal lore, the Aberdeen Bestiary, tells of bears coating sores with mullein.
—
Adrienne Mayor, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2024
Leaving blackberry, mullein, ironweed, mountain mint, Joe Pye weed, sunflowers and wild bergamot standing can make a huge difference.
—Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
When the egg hatches, the larva secretes a specific combination of mullein and micromolide to soak the cockroach.
—Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2013
Bluebirds flit about a meadow of mullein and wild roses.
—Tammy Webber, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2022
The large woolly leaves of the mullein were on the ground while its stem was in the air, its tall spikes spattered and speckled with bright yellow flowers.
—Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2022
As the short, rocky trail descends among hairy stands of common mullein that can sprout corn-like shoots to over 6 feet high, riparian vegetation closes in on the trail.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022
Commonly known as moth mullein for its antenna-like stamens, this species was introduced to North America in the 1800s and lives an unassuming life in fields and meadows.
—Cara Giaimo New York, Star Tribune, 5 June 2021
Early European settlers used common mullein seeds to paralyze fish.
—Popular Science, 28 Mar. 2020
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Adrienne Mayor, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2024
Leaving blackberry, mullein, ironweed, mountain mint, Joe Pye weed, sunflowers and wild bergamot standing can make a huge difference.
—Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
When the egg hatches, the larva secretes a specific combination of mullein and micromolide to soak the cockroach.
—Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2013
Bluebirds flit about a meadow of mullein and wild roses.
—Tammy Webber, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2022
The large woolly leaves of the mullein were on the ground while its stem was in the air, its tall spikes spattered and speckled with bright yellow flowers.
—Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2022
As the short, rocky trail descends among hairy stands of common mullein that can sprout corn-like shoots to over 6 feet high, riparian vegetation closes in on the trail.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022
Commonly known as moth mullein for its antenna-like stamens, this species was introduced to North America in the 1800s and lives an unassuming life in fields and meadows.
—Cara Giaimo New York, Star Tribune, 5 June 2021
Early European settlers used common mullein seeds to paralyze fish.
—Popular Science, 28 Mar. 2020
Dictionary Entries Near mullein
Cite this Entry
“Mullein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mullein. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mullein
noun
mul·lein
variants
also mullen
: a tall herb related to the snapdragons and having coarse woolly leaves and spikes of usually yellow flowers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share