Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various parasitic herbs of the genus Orobanche, having purplish or yellowish flowers and small scalelike leaves that lack chlorophyll. Broomrape grows on the roots of various plants.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of various plants, of the genus Orobanche, that are parasitic on the roots of other plants

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Translation of Medieval Latin rāpum genistae : Latin rāpum, underground stock of a tree + Latin genistae, genitive of genista, broom (from the growth of these tubers on the roots of broom).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

broom +‎ rape

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Examples

Comments

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  • a lovely purple flower. someone point me to the "Better than they sound" list; I can't find it.

    June 8, 2009

  • Right here, madmouth. But never fear--bilby has posted it on your behalf. :-)

    June 8, 2009

  • a large genus of parasitic herbs (orobanche), which attach themselves to the roots of broom, furze, clover, and other leguminous plants, having a brownish-yellow leafless fleshy stem furnished with pointed scales or bracts. the name was first applied to o. major, the rapum genistæ of lobel and other early herbalists

    June 10, 2009