bane

American  

[beyn] / beɪn /

noun

1. a person or thing that ruins or spoils.

   Gambling was the bane of his existence.

2. a deadly poison (often used in combination, as in the names of poisonous plants).

   wolfsbane;

   henbane.

3. death; destruction; ruin.

4. Obsolete. that which causes death or destroys life.

   entrapped and drowned beneath the watery bane.

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bane ¹ British  

/ beɪn /

noun

1. a person or thing that causes misery or distress (esp in the phrase bane of one's life )

2. something that causes death or destruction

3. 1. a fatal poison

   2. ( in combination )

      ratsbane

4. archaic ruin or distress

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bane ² British  

/ beɪn, ben /

noun

1. a Scot word for bone

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Etymology

Origin of bane

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English bana “slayer”; cognate with Old Norse bani “death, murderer,” Old Frisian bona “murder,” Old Saxon bano “murderer,” Old High German bano “slayer,” bana “death”; akin to Armenian ǰnǰel “to destroy,” Greek theínein “to strike,” Latin -fendere “to strike,” Persian zahr “poison,” Polish gonić “to pursue,” Sanskrit hánti “to strike”

Example Sentences

Ironically, a powerful German military, the bane of Europe in the first half of the 20th century, is now essential to its security in the 21st.

From The Wall Street Journal

Besides, high cholesterol is the bane of men in my family, not cancer — so why worry?

From Los Angeles Times

But the bane for homeowners could drive demand for home improvement retailers and builders in the coming weeks, analysts said.

From Barron's

Yes, the word “continues” is the bane of headline writers, but I see no way around it.

From Barron's

Falling prices are a boon for buyers but a bane for homeowners.

From MarketWatch