hellebore

American  

[hel-uh-bawr, -bohr] / ˈhɛl əˌbɔr, -ˌboʊr /

noun

1. any of numerous plants of the genus Helleborus in the buttercup family, several of which, as the Christmas rose, are cultivated for their foliage and clusters of flowers as well as their tolerance of shade: all Helleborus species are toxic.

2. false hellebore.

3. any of several poisonous or medicinal substances extracted or prepared from these plants.

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hellebore British  

/ ˈhɛlɪˌbɔː /

noun

1. any plant of the Eurasian ranunculaceous genus Helleborus, esp H. niger (black hellebore), typically having showy flowers and poisonous parts See also Christmas rose

2. any of various liliaceous plants of the N temperate genus Veratrum, esp V. album, that have greenish flowers and yield alkaloids used in the treatment of heart disease

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Etymology

Origin of hellebore

First recorded before 1000; Old English elleborum, from Latin (h)elleborus, (h)elleborum, reinforced by Old French ellebre, elebore, Middle English el(l)ebre, eleure, or directly from Medieval Latin eleborus, from Greek (h)elléboros; further origin uncertain

Example Sentences

True hellebore flowers are relatively insignificant compared to the sturdy petallike sepals that protect the central reproductive parts of the bloom.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2024

“I love mixing these green glasses with an unexpected color tablecloth,” she said about the pink-and-yellow paisley fabric, a vintage Indian textile that complements the peonies, hellebore and rhododendron arranged in the centerpiece.

From New York Times • Jun. 2, 2022

In 1954, after foraging in the woods around the Stony Point artists’ colony in upstate New York, Cage began to feel unwell after eating poisonous hellebore, which he had mistaken for the similar skunk cabbage.

From The Guardian • Aug. 19, 2020

In her lower-level studio, which overlooks the garden, Rogers works with china marker or silver leaf on paper, re-creating the line and form of daffodils, spiderwort and hellebore from her garden.

From Washington Post • Aug. 6, 2015

Powdered hellebore will hinder their progress, but by far the most effective weapons are the finger and thumb—gloved, if you insist.

From Making a Rose Garden by Saylor, Henry H. (Henry Hodgman)