Melica

noun

Mel·​i·​ca

ˈmelə̇kə

: a genus of perennial mostly woodland grasses somewhat resembling Festuca but having lemmas 2-lobed at the apex and the upper 2 or 3 lemmas empty and forming a club-shaped mass see melic grass

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Italian melica, meliga sorghum, modification (influenced by Latin mel honey) of Medieval Latin (herba) medica, literally, medical herb, from herba herb + medica, feminine of medicus medical

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!