datura

American  

[duh-toor-uh, -tyoor-uh] / dəˈtʊər ə, -ˈtyʊər ə /

noun

1. any of several plants belonging to the genus Datura, of the nightshade family, including some species grown as ornamentals and usually having funnel-shaped flowers and prickly pods: the leaves and seeds are the source of hallucinogenic alkaloids.

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datura British  

/ dəˈtjʊərə /

noun

1. any of various chiefly Indian solanaceous plants of the genus Datura , such as the moonflower and thorn apple, having large trumpet-shaped flowers, prickly pods, and narcotic properties

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Other Word Forms

• daturic adjective

Etymology

Origin of datura

1655–65; < New Latin < Hindi dhatūra jimson weed < Sanskrit dhattūra

Example Sentences

Actually, datura grows naturally in the U.S. and was well known to early American colonists.

From The Wall Street Journal

But betel chew—a mixture of areca nuts, betel leaves and slaked lime—is entirely different from datura.

From The Wall Street Journal

In November an international research team revealed that chewed-up wads of datura, a plant that acts as a deliriant, had been found jammed in the ceiling cracks of a location known as Pinwheel Cave.

From Salon

Now the remains have been confirmed as Datura, a plant used historically for its psychoactive effects.

From BBC

While many have believed that prehistoric rock art was influenced by hallucinogens, this latest research suggests that the rock paintings at Pinwheel Cave depicted the Datura plant itself, rather than any visions caused by the plant, the study said.

From BBC