What does cohosh mean?
Cohosh is the common name for any of several North American woodland herbs prized for their medicinal roots. The term most often refers to black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), a stately buttercup-family perennial that sends up tall wand-like spikes of white flowers in summer, and less often to blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), a member of the barberry family. Both plants were well known to Indigenous peoples of eastern North America, who used their roots in traditional medicine; European settlers adopted these uses, and black cohosh remains a popular herbal supplement today, particularly for menopausal complaints. In everyday language the word rarely stands alone — speakers say 'black cohosh' or 'blue cohosh' — and it belongs chiefly to botanical, gardening, and herbalist registers rather than casual conversation. Its name derives from an Algonquian word meaning 'rough', a reference to the plant's coarse rootstock, making it part of the rich vocabulary English borrowed from Native American languages.
nounAny of several North American herbaceous plants of the buttercup family (notably black cohosh, Actaea racemosa) or the barberry family (blue cohosh, Caulophyllum thalictroides), whose roots have long been used in traditional medicine.
- Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), a tall perennial herb of eastern North American woodlands whose root is used in herbal medicine, especially for menopausal symptoms.
- Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), a related woodland plant whose root has also been used in traditional medicine.
"The herbalist recommended black cohosh as a traditional remedy for hot flushes."
"Tall spires of white cohosh flowers lit up the shaded corner of the garden in midsummer."
"Early American settlers learned of cohosh's medicinal roots from Indigenous healers."
The plural is regular but uncommon, since the word typically refers to the plants collectively or to a specific named species.
"Both cohoshes thrive in rich, moist woodland soil."
Despite its exotic ring, 'cohosh' isn't Latin at all — it's one of the many English words borrowed from Algonquian languages, alongside 'moose', 'squash' and 'tomahawk'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cohosh
The word cohosh entered English in the colonial era, borrowed from an Algonquian language of eastern North America; it is usually traced to a word meaning 'rough', alluding to the plant's gnarled rootstock. It arrived alongside other borrowings from the same language family, such as hickory, hominy, and squash, as settlers documented New World flora. The names 'black cohosh' and 'blue cohosh' were later fixed by botanists to distinguish two unrelated plants that share the common name.
How cohosh is actually used
The word almost always appears qualified as 'black cohosh' or 'blue cohosh'; on its own it is rare outside botanical and herbal-medicine contexts. It carries a slightly old-fashioned, apothecary connotation through its association with traditional remedies.
Easily confused with cohosh
A coho is a species of Pacific salmon, whereas cohosh is a medicinal North American woodland plant; the words merely sound similar.