hart's-tongue

noun

variants or hart's-tongue fern

plural hart's-tongues or hart's-tongue ferns

1

: a chiefly Eurasian fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium) with simple lanceolate fronds often auriculate at the base

2

: a tropical American fern (Polybotria cervina) of the family Polypodiaceae

3

: strap fern

Word History

Etymology

hart's-tongue from Middle English hertestonge, from hertes (genitive of hert hart) + tonge tongue; hart's-tongue fern from hart's-tongue + fern; from the shape of the fronds

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