jupiter's beard
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
House leek. Supposed to be a charm against evil spirits and lightning. Hence grown at one time very generally on the thatch of houses.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “jupiter's beard” mean?
House leek. Supposed to be a charm against evil spirits and lightning. Hence grown at one time very generally on the thatch of houses.
Is “jupiter's beard” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.