HENBANE

henbane, black henbane, stinking nightshade, Hyoscyamus niger

(noun) poisonous fetid Old World herb having sticky hairy leaves and yellow-brown flowers; yields hyoscyamine and scopolamine

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

henbane (countable and uncountable, plural henbanes)

A poisonous plant, Hyoscyamus niger, used sometimes as a drug that causes at least hallucinations, dilated pupils, restlessness, and flushed skin.

Synonyms: black henbane, stinking nightshade

Any other plant of the genus Hyoscyamus.

Source: Wiktionary


Hen"bane`, n. Etym: [Hen + bane.] (Bot.)

Definition: A plant of the genus Hyoscyamus (H. niger). All parts of the plant are poisonous, and the leaves are used for the same purposes as belladonna. It is poisonous to domestic fowls; whence the name. Called also, stinking nightshade, from the fetid odor of the plant. See Hyoscyamus.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

6 June 2025

PUNGENCY

(noun) wit having a sharp and caustic quality; “he commented with typical pungency”; “the bite of satire”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee has initially been a food – chewed, not sipped. Early African tribes consume coffee by grinding the berries together, adding some animal fat, and rolling the treats into tiny edible energy balls.

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