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: any of various composite plants (especially of the genus Erigeron) that were once believed to drive away fleas
Examples of fleabane in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Young oaks create an understory that turns colorful in autumn, thickets of wild rose line the trail with carpets of fleabane and yarrow.
Pinetop Springs forms another marshy area near the halfway point of the hike.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 2 Aug. 2024
Ralph said specific native plants that were previously prohibited but allowed under the new ordinance include Canada goldenrod, daisy fleabane, dogbane, fall panicum, hoary verbena, ironweed, milkweed, Pennsylvania smartweed, purpletop grass, sagewort, tall thistle and wild four-o’clock.
—Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
In early summer, look to the alpine meadows of Flagstaff and the White Mountains adorned with fleabane, blue flax, paintbrush, columbine and more.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024
The Xerces Society has created a list of monarch nectar plants for Southern California that includes drought-tolerant natives attractive to many butterflies, such as black sage, bluedicks, sunflowers, seaside fleabane and the dainty fairy-cap flowers of manzanita.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2021
Among the tall leggy sunflowers, look for thistle, globemallow and fleabane.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2022
Khumalo collaborated with local Cape Town artist Shakil Solanki on a series of prints that depict cotton and a type of wildflower called Philadelphia fleabane.
—Brooke Bobb, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2020
Early South Florida settlers stuffed oakleaf fleabane, a tiny lavender wildflower, into their mattresses to ward off fleas.
—Jenny Staletovich, miamiherald, 4 May 2017
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Word History
First Known Use
1548, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Fleabane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fleabane. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
fleabane
noun
flea·bane
ˈflē-ˌbān
: any of various plants related to the daisies
More from Merriam-Webster on fleabane
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fleabane
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