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# comfrey

noun (comfrey – uncountable; comfreys for kinds)

«comfrey» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A tall wild plant with large hairy leaves and bell-shaped purple, pink or white flowers, growing in damp places by rivers and ditches. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/#m1)
2. The leaves or root of this plant, used in the past as a herbal medicine for bruises and broken bones, and by gardeners to feed the soil. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/#m2)

### In the lessons

A river-bank plant: in The Wind in the Willows the Mole and the Rat pass purple loosestrife, willow-herb and comfrey along the river, and the names paint a summer English bank. Gardeners make «comfrey tea» as plant food. Its old name «knitbone» came from the belief it helped bones heal. Safety: comfrey should not be eaten; it can harm the liver.

### Examples

- Comfrey grew thick along the edge of the stream. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/#x1)
- Bees buzzed around the purple comfrey flowers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/#x2)
- Grandad soaks comfrey leaves in water to feed his tomatoes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/#x3)
- People once called comfrey «knitbone». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/#x4)
- The Mole saw comfrey and willow-herb on the river bank. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/#x5)
- Don't eat comfrey – it is not safe as food. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/#x6)

### Note

Said «KUM-free». Usually uncountable. Old herbal uses are history, not proven medicine; never eat wild plants without an adult who knows them.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «comfrey» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/comfrey/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«comfrey» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/comfrey.html) on Mova free.