Definition of "loosestrife" [loose•strife]

• Any of various plants of the genus Lysimachia, having usually yellow flowers. (noun)
• Any of various plants of the genus Lythrum, having purple or white flowers. (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.

• "A beautiful example is purple loosestrife, which is good looking but an invasive species here."
• "I mean, it's great that the wolf and deer population would boom, but wouldn't the purple loosestrife boom too?"
• "It's a soggy meadow dominated by mosses and plants such as skunk cabbage and Purple loosestrife."