Origin: L, a few frog, a
medicinal plant, probably crowfoot, dim. Of
rana a frog; cf. Raccare to roar.
A genus of herbs, mostly with yellow flowers, including crowfoot, buttercups, and the cultivated ranunculi (R. Asiaticus, R. Aconitifolius, etc) in which the flowers are double and of different colours.
Source: Websters Vocabulary