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Definition of "hepatica" [‖He•pat•i•ca]

  • Any of several woodland plants of the genus Hepatica, especially H. americana of eastern North America, having three-lobed leaves and white or lavender flowers. Also called liverleaf. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "hepatica" in a sentence
  • "Oh, but someone says, the hepatica is the first flower of spring; all the nature writers say so."
  • "The hepatica is the first flower of the Canadian spring: it gladdens us with its tints of azure, pink, and white, early in April, soon after the snows have melted from the earth."
  • "During one of my lectures, the question arose as to why beef is not prohibited, although a cow can be infected with the dangerous liver fluke Fasciola hepatica."