nightshade

[ nahyt-sheyd ]

/ ˈnaɪtˌʃeɪd /

noun

any of various plants of the genus Solanum, especially the black nightshade or the bittersweet.

any of various other related plants, as the deadly nightshade.

Nearby words

nightmare, nightmarish, nightrider, nights, nightscape, nightshade, nightshade family, nightshirt, nightside, nightspot, nightstand

Origin of nightshade

before 1000; Middle English; Old English nihtscada. See night, shade

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

Examples from the Web for nightshade

Both have an eerie aspect, as if turned upside down, as has also the Nightshade.
Old-Time Gardens|Alice Morse Earle
Circa alpina (enchanter's nightshade), very common in woods.
The Maine Woods|Henry David Thoreau
Slavery was a noxious plant, deadlier than the nightshade, and it poisoned the South.
The Battle of Principles|Newell Dwight Hillis
It is the cold spirit of routine which is the nightshade of our nature.
The Continental Monthly, Vol III, Issue VI, June, 1863|Various

There is no more shame or guilt connected with them than with the malaria of the swamp or the poison of the nightshade.
The World's Great Sermons, Volume 9: Cuyler to Van Dyke|Various

British Dictionary definitions for nightshade

nightshade

/ (ˈnaɪtˌʃeɪd) /

noun

any of various solanaceous plants, such as deadly nightshade, woody nightshade, and black nightshade

See enchanter's nightshade

Word Origin for nightshade

Old English nihtscada, apparently night + shade, referring to the poisonous or soporific qualities 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

Word Origin and History for nightshade

nightshade

Old English nihtscada, literally "shade of night," perhaps in allusion to the poisonous berries. A common Germanic compound, cf. Dutch nachtschade, German Nachtschatten.