henbane

American  

[hen-beyn] / ˈhɛnˌbeɪn /

noun

1. an Old World plant, Hyoscyamus niger, of the nightshade family, having sticky, hairy fetid foliage and greenish-yellow flowers, and possessing narcotic and poisonous properties especially destructive to domestic fowls.

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henbane British  

/ ˈhɛnˌbeɪn /

noun

1. a poisonous solanaceous European plant, Hyoscyamus niger, with sticky hairy leaves and funnel-shaped greenish flowers: yields the drug hyoscyamine

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Etymology

Origin of henbane

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at hen, bane

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

henbane

At the time that the original owner stuffed the container full of seeds, the properties of black henbane were already well known in Rome.

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2024

Pliny the Elder, Plutarch, and others wrote about black henbane, along with its closely related but less potent relatives, white and yellow henbane.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 7, 2024

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

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2023

A Babylonian clay tablet advises treating the pain of a burrowing 'tooth worm', which is thought to be the cause of caries, by plugging the hole with gum mastic and powdered henbane seeds.

From Nature ● Jul. 12, 2016

“Juice of henbane, black and deadly,” she said.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein