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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
What is milk thistle? Native to Europe but common in the U.S. today as well, milk thistle is a flowering plant in the daisy (Asteraceae) family of flowers.
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Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025
Dryness, skin texture, hyperpigmentation, and redness are all concerns the formula addresses through a cocktail of oat, cacao peptides, milk thistle, and Japanese lilyturf.
—
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025
The Patch Brand Recovery Patch, $24 This wellness patch, which can be worn before, during and after drinking, uses glutathione, vitamin B12, milk thistle, dihydromyricetin and more to prevent severe hangovers.
—
Emily Burns, WWD, 31 Dec. 2024
To help with recovery, both chlorella and milk thistle are also good.
—
Emily Peck, WIRED, 31 Dec. 2024
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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 6 Feb. 2025.
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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