noun
- Plural of hepatic; plants of the liverwort family, typically small and growing on moist ground or rocks.
- Medicines or remedies believed to treat liver disorders.
Usage: botanical term; often used in ecology and botany
Usage: archaic or historical medical usage
Examples
- The forest floor was covered with hepatics and mosses.
- Botanists collected several species of hepatics during their field survey.
- Hepatics thrive in the damp, shaded areas of the woodland.
- The hepatics in this region are an important indicator of ecosystem health.
- Medieval herbalists used hepatics as remedies for liver ailments.