aspidium

English

Etymology

A genericized form of translingual Aspidium, from New Latin aspidium (“shield fern”) proposed by Schwartz in Schrader's Journal für die Botanik in 1800, from Ancient Greek ἀσπίς (aspís, “shield”) + -ium.

Noun

aspidium (countable and uncountable, plural aspidiums or aspidia)

1. (dated, countable) Synonym of dryopteris: a member of a certain genus of ferns, including the male fern.
2. (dated, medicine, uncountable) A vermifuge prepared from the dried male fern.