[va.le.ri.an] n [ME, fr. MF or ML; MF valeriane, fr. ML valeriana, prob. fr. fem. of valerianus of Valeria, fr. Valeria, Roman province formerly part of Pannonia] (14c) 1: any of a genus (Valeriana of the family Valerianaceae, the valerian family) of perennial herbs many of which possess medicinal properties
2: a drug consisting of the dried rootstock and roots of the garden heliotrope (Valeriana officinalis) formerly used as a carminative and sedative