baneberry

[ beyn-ber-ee, -buh-ree ]

/ ˈbeɪnˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

noun, plural bane·ber·ries.

any plant belonging to the genus Actaea, of the buttercup family, having large compound leaves, spikes of small white flowers, and poisonous red or white berries.

the berry of such a plant.

Nearby words

bandy legs, bandy-bandy, bandy-legged, bandywallop, bane, baneberry, baneful, banefully, banerjea, banerjea, sir surendranath, banff

Origin of baneberry

First recorded in 1745–55; bane + berry

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for baneberry

There is baneberry, whose very name sufficiently describes its dangerous nature.
Falling in Love|Grant Allen
Even as it was, I felt myself fortunate to have seen the baneberry in one of its few native haunts.
The Call of the Wildflower|Henry S. Salt

British Dictionary definitions for baneberry

baneberry

/ (ˈbeɪnbərɪ) /

noun plural -ries

Also called: (Brit) herb Christopher, (US) cohosh any ranunculaceous plant of the genus Actaea, esp A. spicata, which has small white flowers and red or white poisonous berries

a berry of any of these plants

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012