1.
[syn: Christmas rose, winter rose, black hellebore, Helleborus niger]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Hellebore \Hel"le*bore\, n. [L. helleborus, elleborus, Gr. ?, ?;
cf. F. hell['e]bore, ell['e]bore.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Bot.) A genus of perennial herbs (Helleborus) of the
Crowfoot family, mostly having powerfully cathartic and
even poisonous qualities. Helleborus niger is the
European black hellebore, or Christmas rose, blossoming in
winter or earliest spring. Helleborus officinalis was
the officinal hellebore of the ancients.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Bot.) Any plant of several species of the poisonous
liliaceous genus Veratrum, especially Veratrum album
and Veratrum viride, both called white hellebore.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Helleborus niger
n 1: European evergreen plant with white or purplish rose-like
winter-blooming flowers [syn: Christmas rose, winter
rose, black hellebore, Helleborus niger]