Night·shade n. Bot. A common name of many species of the genus Solanum, given esp. to the Solanum nigrum, or black nightshade, a low, branching weed with small white flowers and black berries reputed to be poisonous.
Deadly nightshade. Same as Belladonna (a).
Enchanter's nightshade. See under Enchanter.
Stinking nightshade. See Henbane.
Three-leaved nightshade. See Trillium.
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Bel·la·don·na n. 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.
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dead·ly a.
1. Capable of causing death; mortal; fatal; destructive; certain or likely to cause death; as, a deadly blow or wound.
2. Aiming or willing to destroy; implacable; desperately hostile; flagitious; as, deadly enemies.
Thy assailant is quick, skillful, and deadly. --Shak.
3. Subject to death; mortal. [Obs.]
The image of a deadly man. --Wyclif (Rom. i. 23).
Deadly nightshade Bot., a poisonous plant; belladonna. See under Nightshade.
deadly nightshade
n 1: perennial Eurasian herb with reddish bell-shaped flowers and
shining black berries; extensively grown in United
States; roots and leaves yield atropine [syn: belladonna,
Atropa belladonna]
2: poisonous perennial Old World vine having violet flowers and
oval coral-red berries; widespread weed in North America
[syn: bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, climbing
nightshade, poisonous nightshade, woody nightshade, Solanum
dulcamara]