hellebore
NounSynonyms:
false hellebore
Open English WordNet
Noun (2)
- perennial herbs of the lily family having thick toxic rhizomesSynonyms: false helleboreType of liliaceous plantKinds white hellebore, American helleboreMember of Veratrum, genus Veratrum
- any plant of the Eurasian genus HelleborusType of poisonous plantKinds green hellebore, lenten rose, stinking hellebore, Christmas roseMember of Helleborus, genus Helleborus
Word of the day · Oct 14About this word
arcaneadjective
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Hel′le·bore noun
Origin: L. helleborus, elleborus, Gr. …, …; cf. F. hellébore, ellébore.
1. Botany 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.
2. Botany Any plant of several species of the poisonous liliaceous genus Veratrum, especially Veratrum album and Veratrum viride, both called white hellebore.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54