meetin' seed

Definitions

A seed from any of various herb plants (especially fennel, but sometimes caraway, dill, or anise), formerly eaten during church meetings to foster wakefulness, freshen the breath, or keep hunger pangs at bay.

US, countable, dialectal, uncountable

Examples

“Outside the door were a bed of fennel — meeting seed — and some rose bushes. Close⟳ by was the country store and post-office.”

“[…] fennel, dill, and caraway furnished meeting seed fresh from June to October, and dry from October to June again.”

“Puritans tucked dill “meetin' seeds” into their Bibles to appease their appetite during long services. Dill perfumes soap and occasionally goes into perfume. The seeds make⟳ a good breath freshener.”

CEFR level