deadly nightshade

noun

1. belladonna.

deadly nightshade

noun

1. Also called: belladonna.  dwale. a poisonous Eurasian solanaceous plant, Atropa belladonna, having dull purple bell-shaped flowers and small very poisonous black berries

Word History and Origins

Origin of deadly nightshade¹

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

The Solanaceae family is a vast one with more than 2,500 members including tomatoes, potatoes, chillies, aubergines, peppers, tobacco, deadly nightshade and henbane.

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The active ingredient in deadly nightshade, atropine, is still used today to dilate the eyes during eye exams, but unlike the cosmetic belladonna drops of the past, the highly diluted modern versions won't blind you.

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On one challenging 3½-mile hike, as we examined a chain cholla cactus and discussed its penchant for sticking to clothing, one of the hikers spotted a deadly nightshade plant with its tempting, poisonous berries.

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"My old man is a bad man," she sang on Off To The Races; while her boyfriend on Ultraviolence "used to call me DN - that stood for deadly nightshade, because I was filled with poison".

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Plants such as deadly nightshade can kill if enough of the plant is ingested.

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