scabious

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: sca=bi=ous

CIDE DICTIONARY

scabious, a. [L. scabiosus, from scabies the scab: cf. F. scabieux.].

 Consisting of scabs; rough; itchy; leprous; as, scabious eruptions.  Arbuthnot.  [1913 Webster]

scabious, n. [Cf. F. scabieuse. See Scabious, a.].

 Any plant of the genus Scabiosa, several of the species of which are common in Europe. They resemble the Compositæ, and have similar heads of flowers, but the anthers are not connected.  [1913 Webster]

Sweet scabious. (a) Mourning bride. (b) A daisylike plant (Erigeron annuus) having a stout branching stem.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

scabious, n. & adj.
--n. any plant of the genus Scabiosa, Knautia, etc., with pink, white, or esp. blue pincushion-shaped flowers.
--adj. affected with mange; scabby.

Etymology

ME f. med.L scabiosa (herba) formerly regarded as a cure for skin disease: see SCABIES