noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkæ.məˌmaɪl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈkæ.məˌmaɪl/
General-American:/ˈkæ.məˌmil/
CMU ARPABET:K AE2 M AH0 M AY1 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:K AE2 M AH0 M IY1 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An asteracean plant with a fragrance reminiscent of apples:
Matricaria chamomilla, German chamomile or Hungarian chamomile, with fragrant flowers used for tea, and as an herbal remedy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: German camomile, Hungarian camomile
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An asteracean plant with a fragrance reminiscent of apples:
Chamaemelum nobile (formerly Anthemis nobilis), English chamomile or Roman chamomile, a ground cover with fragrant foliage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Roman camomile, English camomile
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Any of several other similar plants. (See below)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Ellipsis of camomile tea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Eurasian plant with apple-scented foliage and white-rayed flowers and feathery leaves used medicinally; in some classification systems placed in genus Anthemis
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chamomile, Chamaemelum nobilis, Anthemis nobilis
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: herb, herbaceous plant
History
Etymology
From Middle English camamille, first attested 1265, from Old French camomille, from Late Latin camomilla, from Latin chamaemelon, from Ancient Greek χαμαίμηλον (khamaímēlon, literally “earth-apple”), from χαμαί (khamaí, “on the ground”) + μῆλον (mêlon, “apple”). So called because of the apple-like scent of the plant.
Across languages
Translations
98 source translations are retained for this English entry.
