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nightshade family

American  

noun

  1. the plant family Solanaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, trees, shrubs, and vines having alternate, simple or pinnate leaves, conspicuous flowers, and fruit in the form of a berry or capsule, and including belladonna, eggplant, nightshade, peppers of the genus Capsicum, petunia, potato, tobacco, and tomato.


Example Sentences

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The Lippman lab focuses on plants in the nightshade family, which includes staple crops like tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes, along with lesser-known species such as goldenberries.

From Science Daily Jan. 11, 2026

The plant is included in the nightshade family, which features a host of toxic and beneficial species, from tomatoes and eggplant to tobacco and belladonna.

From Salon Jul. 15, 2023

I recently had allergy testing done and learned that I am sensitive to foods in the nightshade family.

From Seattle Times Sep. 15, 2021

Although the books mailed to Ms. Gordon were as unalike as members of the nightshade family, close inspection turned up trace similarities.

From New York Times Jul. 29, 2021

Deadly Nightshade To the nightshade family belong plants that are poisonous and plants that are not, but the thrilling name, deadly nightshade, carries with it the certainty of poison.

From On the Trail An Outdoor Book for Girls by Beard, Lina

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