belladonna

Noun
Synonyms: belladonna plantdeadly nightshadeAtropa belladonna

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

  1. perennial Eurasian herb with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries; extensively grown in United States; roots and leaves yield atropineSynonyms: belladonna plantdeadly nightshadeAtropa belladonna
  2. an alkaloidal extract or tincture of the poisonous belladonna plant that is used medicinally
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Atropa \Atropa\ n. a genus of plants of the nightshade family, including the belladonna (Atropa belladonna).

Syn: genus Atropa. [WordNet 1.5]

Belladonna \Bel`la*don"na\, n. [It., literally fine lady; bella beautiful + donna lady.] (Bot.) (a) An herbaceous European plant (Atropa belladonna) with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries. The whole plant and its fruit are very poisonous, and the root and leaves are used as powerful medicinal agents. Its properties are largely due to the alkaloid atropine which it contains. Called also deadly nightshade. (b) A species of Amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna); the belladonna lily. [1913 Webster]

The Devil's Dictionary

BELLADONNA, n. In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.
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