n.
Pronunciation: ' sp ə rj
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French espurge, spurge, from espurger to clean out, purge, from Latin expurgare ― more at EXPURGATE
Date: 14th century
: any of a family (Euphorbiaceae) of widely distributed herbs, shrubs, and trees often with a bitter milky juice especially : EUPHORBIA