spikenard
/ˈspaɪknɑː(ɹ)d/noun
spikenard is spelled S-P-I-K-E-N-A-R-D: 9 letters. It appears about once in every 46 million words in written English, the 209,386th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, spikenard means “A perfumed ointment, extracted from the plant Nardostachys jatamansi that belongs to the Valerian family and grows in the Himalayas” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of spikenard is spikenards.
How many letters and syllables are in spikenard?
| Letters | 9: S-P-I-K-E-N-A-R-D |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 46 million words; the 209,386th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is spikenard?
Spikenard appears about once in every 46 million words in written English, the 209,386th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce spikenard?
- /ˈspaɪknɑː(ɹ)d/
- /ˈspɪknɑːɹd/
- /ˈspɪknæɹd/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-spikenard.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of spikenard
- spikenards plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does spikenard mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A perfumed ointment, extracted from the plant Nardostachys jatamansi that belongs to the Valerian family and grows in the Himalayas.
- 2
The plant Nardostachys jatamansi (syn. Nardostachys grandiflora).
- 3
Lavandula stoechas, another species used in antiquity to produce an aromatic oil.
- 4
Any plant of the genus Aralia of the Araliaceae family.
- 5
False spikenard (Maianthemum racemosum, syn. Smilacina racemosa)
- 6
Ploughman's spikenard (Inula conyza, now Pentanema conyzae).
- 7
Wild spikenard (Asarum europaeum).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Spikenard in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | nard |
| Portuguese | nardo |
| Spanish | nardo , espicanardo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does spikenard come from?
From Middle English spikenard, spikenarde, from Anglo-Norman spicanarde, from Medieval Latin spīca nardī, from Latin spica (“spike”) + nardi (“nard”). Equivalent to spike + nard.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).