Aaron's-beard

noun

Aar·​on's-beard

plural Aaron's-beards

: any of several plants having numerous stamens or threadlike runners: such as

a

: great saint-john's-wort

b

: jerusalem star

c

: strawberry geranium

d

: kenilworth ivy

e

or Aaron's-beard cactus : a cactus (Opuntia leucotricha) that has white hairs on its joints

Word History

Etymology

so called from the reference to the patriarch Aaron's beard in Psalms 133:2

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

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