nepenthes

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /nɪˈpɛnθiːz/ (General American) IPA(key): /nəˈpɛnθiz/ Hyphenation: ne‧pen‧thes === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Latin nēpenthes (“a drug bringing relief from grief”), from Ancient Greek νηπενθές (nēpenthés), neuter of νηπενθής (nēpenthḗs, “sorrow-banishing”), from νη- (nē-, “not”) + πένθος (pénthos, “grief”) (from πάσχειν (páskhein), present active infinitive of πάσχω (páskhō, “to be ill or injured in a certain way; to suffer”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷendʰ- (“to endure, to suffer”)). Compare French népenthès (“a plant from which a drug supposedly bringing relief from grief may be obtained; such a drug”). ==== Noun ==== nepenthes (uncountable) A drug mentioned in Homer's Odyssey (c. 8th century B.C.E.) as bringing relief from anxiety or grief; hence, any drug or substance seen as bringing welcome forgetfulness or relief. A Southeast Asian carnivorous plant of the genus Nepenthes; a monkey cup or tropical pitcher plant. ===== Alternative forms ===== (substance bringing forgetfulness or relief): nepenth (obsolete, rare), nepenthe (archaic) (plant): nepenth (obsolete, rare) ===== Synonyms ===== (plant): monkey cup ===== Derived terms ===== nepenthaceous (“belonging to the Nepenthaceae family of plants”) nepenthean ===== Related terms ===== Nepenthaceae Nepenthes ===== See also ===== (substance bringing forgetfulness or relief): amnesic === Etymology 2 === From nepenthe +‎ -s. ==== Noun ==== nepenthes (archaic) plural of nepenthe. ===== Synonyms ===== nepenths (obsolete, rare) === Further reading === Nepenthes on Wikipedia.Wikipedia (genus of carnivorous plants)