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milk thistle
noun
: a tall thistle (Silybum marianum) having white-veined dark green leaves and large purple flower heads that is native to the Mediterranean region but has become naturalized elsewhere including the U.S.
also
: an extract of milk thistle and especially its seeds that is held to protect the liver from damage or disease
Examples of milk thistle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While evidence is mixed, it is believed that milk thistle may stimulate prolactin, the hormone needed to make breast milk.2 Note that Legendairy Milk is fenugreek-free.
—Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 May 2024
One packet not only contains milk thistle, fenugreek, and fennel but also collagen, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.
—Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 May 2024
Enter milk thistle: a natural aid to improve digestion.
—Valentina Bottoni, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
In short, milk thistle has a detox function, which is great if your digestion is sluggish.
—Valentina Bottoni, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
Drink milk thistle tea As well as drinking lots of water, skin expert Jasmina Vico is a big advocate of drinking milk thistle tea—her client, Margot Robbie, drank it while filming Barbie.
—Hannah Coates, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2024
Another side of social media touts supplements and herbs, like milk thistle, turmeric, and coenzyme Q10, for the same purpose.
—Cathy Cassata, Health, 6 Jan. 2024
Some supplements, such as milk thistle or digestive enzymes, may provide additional support for dogs with gallbladder issues.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 31 Aug. 2023
One such herb is milk thistle, which has been used for centuries due to its liver-detoxifying properties.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 13 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'milk thistle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1562, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near milk thistle
Cite this Entry
“Milk thistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milk%20thistle. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Medical Definition
milk thistle
noun
milk this·tle
-ˈthis-əl
1
: a tall thistle (Silybum marianum) that is the source of silymarin, has large clasping white-blotched leaves and large purple flower heads with bristly receptacles, and is native to southern Europe but has been widely introduced elsewhere including the United States
2
: an extract of milk thistle and especially its seeds : silymarin
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