First Known Use: 1683
Dictionary
ergot
noun er·got \ˈər-gət, -ˌgät\
Definition of ERGOT
1
: the black or dark purple sclerotium of fungi (genus Claviceps) that occurs as a club-shaped body replacing the seed of a grass (as rye); also : a fungus bearing ergots
2
: a disease of rye and other cereals caused by an ergot fungus
3
a : the dried sclerotia of an ergot fungus grown on rye and containing several alkaloids (as ergonovine and ergotamine) b : any of such alkaloids used medicinally for their contractile effect on smooth muscle (as of the uterus and or blood vessels)
— er·got·ic \(ˌ)ər-ˈgä-tik\ adjective
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Origin of ERGOT
French, literally, cock's spur
Rhymes with ERGOT
à droite, allot, a lot, ascot, a shot, Banat, bank shot, besot, big shot, black rot, black spot, blind spot, bloodshot, bowknot, boycott, brown rot, buckshot, bullshot, cachepot, calotte, cheap shot, chip shot, crackpot, Crock-Pot, culotte, dashpot, despot, dogtrot, dovecote, draw shot, dreadnought, drop shot, drylot, dry rot, dunk shot, ear rot, earshot, eyeshot, eyespot, feedlot, fiat, firepot, fleshpot, foot rot, foul shot, fox-trot, fusspot, fylfot, garrote, gavotte, grapeshot, G-spot, gunshot, half-knot, have-not, highspot, hotchpot, hot pot, hotshot, ikat, jackpot, job lot, jog trot, jump shot, Kalat, Korat, kumquat, leaf spot, long shot, loquat, love knot, manat, marplot, moon shot, motmot, mug shot, nightspot, odd lot, one-shot, Pequot, Pol Pot, potshot, Rabat, red-hot, reef knot, ring spot, robot, root knot, root rot, sandlot, set shot, sexpot, Shabbat, Shebat, sheepcote, slap shot, slingshot, slipknot, slungshot, snapshot, soft rot, soft spot, somewhat, split shot, square knot, stinkpot, stockpot, subplot, sunspot, sweet spot, sword knot, teapot, tin-pot, topknot, tosspot, try-pot, upshot, wainscot, warm spot, whatnot, white-hot, woodlot, wood shot, wrist shot
Medical Dictionary
ergot
noun er·got \ˈər-gət, -ˌgät\
Medical Definition of ERGOT
1
a : the black or dark purple sclerotium of fungi of the genus Claviceps that occurs as a club-shaped body which replaces the seed of various grasses (as rye) b : any fungus of the genus Claviceps
2
: a disease of rye and other cereals caused by fungi of the genus Claviceps and characterized by the presence of ergots in the seed heads—compare ergotism
3
a : the dried sclerotial bodies of an ergot fungus grown on rye and containing several ergot alkaloids b : ergot alkaloid
—er·got·ic \(ˌ)ər-ˈgät-ik\ adjective
Learn More About ERGOT
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