henbane

[ hen-beyn ]

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.

henbane

/ ˈhɛnˌbeɪn /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of henbane¹

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

Example Sentences

The specks turned out to be seeds of black henbane, a potently poisonous member of the nightshade family that can be medicinal or hallucinogenic depending on the dosage.

From New York Times

To ancient physicians, black henbane was a source of both fascination and fear.

From Science Magazine

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

Atropine and scopolamine, powerful hallucinogens, can be found in plants in the nightshade family, among them mandrake, henbane and thorn apple.

From New York Times

“Hemlock. Belladonna, henbane, or strychnine. I can dissolve your innards, boil your blood.”

From Literature